Why Early Signs of Gum Disease Should Not Be Ignored
Although there are different elements of your daily hygiene that you could skip, such as washing your hair, your oral care is not something to be inconsistent with. Failure to engage in the proper cleaning techniques on a daily basis will pose the risk of you developing a host of oral problems, with the most common being gum disease. Nevertheless, since gum disease typically starts to manifest with bleeding gums, some people will ignore this symptom assuming they are simply brushing their teeth much too vigorously. The reality is that any bleeding you experience should be looked at by a dentist to rule out the possibility of gingivitis. Below are some of the reasons why gum disease should never go untreated.
A host of oral problems
When you develop gum disease, you will not be limited to bleeding gums as your only symptom. As this disease progresses, there is a host of different symptoms that you could develop, which would all be very unpleasant. Firstly, your gums will begin to swell due to inflammation, which can make chewing and talking quite uncomfortable. In addition to this, you are also at risk of developing chronic halitosis. Not only would this leave a bad taste in your mouth, but it can also be very embarrassing in social situations. The earlier that you have the gum disease addressed, the less likely that you would have to suffer through additional symptoms.
Development of periodontitis
The onset of gum disease is typically referred to as gingivitis. Gingivitis is a relatively mild oral disease. Although gingivitis does affect a great number of people, it is also easily treatable and therefore is not a serious threat to your oral health. At the other end of the spectrum, though, is periodontitis. Periodontitis is a disease that steadily develops when mild gum disease is left untreated. By the time you develop periodontitis, your oral health will be severely compromised, and you would require extensive treatments to restore the original state of your teeth and gums. As such, to prevent periodontitis, it is best to have your gum disease diagnosed and treated at its earliest stages.
Receding gum can lead to tooth loss
Losing a tooth does not merely affect your appearance. In some cases, tooth loss can also lead to bone loss due to lack of stimulation. The bone loss can subsequently affect your ability to chew, cause you to develop speech impediments and more. If gum disease is not treated, it will eventually erode the tissue holding your teeth as well as decay their roots, causing tooth loss.