Early Signs of Gum Disease

Video Transcript

"There are several things that we use to basically assess for gum disease. Before we start to describe what are some of the early symptoms and signs of gum disease we're going to discuss what healthy gums look like. So, by using this diagram we can illustrate a couple things. When we're evaluating the tissue we're looking for nice pink tissue. Pink is an an indicator of healthy gum tissue. We're also checking to make sure the tissue is nice, tight, and firm. And we're also checking to see if the tissue bleeds. Tissue that is pink, tissue that's firm, and tissue that doesn't bleed kind of constitutes what healthy gums look like. What we see here on this diagram is someone who has buildup, or plaque, or tartar, and those are things that will kind of contribute to the buildup that you see, as well as causing irritation of the tissue. This is where you start to see the beginning signs of possible gum disease. The difference that we see on this versus the original is that the tissue; rather than being pink it's more red, it's more swollen, it's more inflamed, and it's more likely to bleed when it's touched. And because of that, you know, the buildup can aggravate the tissue a lot more so you start to see changes in the way the tissue looks, in the way the tissue feels. In this diagram this constitutes what we described as gingivitis. Gingivitis is described as an early stage that can per, can turn into gum disease. What we see in gingivitis are three major things, again, when compared to the original. One, the tissue is extremely red, swollen, and inflamed. It's very likely to bleed, and most patients will complain of generalized bleeding when they're eating or when they're flossing. While this is not a major deal at this point this is a precursor to what gum disease can do. It's at this point that it's very important that one goes to the dentist on a regular basis, and make sure that they work on their home care, such as brushing and flossing. Brushing and flossing, and going back to the dentist on a regular basis will prevent gingivitis. In this diagram we have a result of gingivitis that has not been either detected or treated. While in gingivitis all you have is basically some gum tissue inflammation if it's left untreated it can progress into what we call periodontitis, also known as gum disease. Gum disease is characterized by several different things. One is that you see a lot more inflammation and swelling of the tissue. You will see excessive bleeding when you go to clean the areas. You will see a lot more buildup; not just around the teeth, but down below the teeth on the root surfaces. And also, what constitutes gum disease which is the most important is the beginning to see bone loss. Bone loss is very critical to be identified, because the more bone you lose the more likely you'll see a tooth be lost, whether it be from an extraction, or just so uncomfortable that it has to be removed. And in this diagram, this highlights what happens if gum disease is not caught at an early time, or is left untreated. The difference between this and the previous diagram that we showed is this is a much more advanced case, so the tissue is basically at the most inflamed state possible; spontaneous bleeding, likely to see more infection and pus collect around the the gum tissue. You start to lose a lot more bone. And again, with bone comes tooth mobility. The teeth start to loosen up. When the teeth start to loosen up they become a lot less functional, so one has a lot more difficulty eating and chewing, but also it's just extremely uncomfortable and not a very good prognosis. This is ultimately what happens if gum disease is left untreated."