This Is Why Symptoms Of Gum Disease Should Never Be Ignored

Noticing that you have symptoms of gum disease can be extremely concerning, but many people choose to look the other way and simply hope that it gets better on its own. Unfortunately, this is the wrong decision to make. Ignoring potential symptoms of gum disease can put a lot more at risk than your gums. Here's what you ought to know about the progression of gum disease and what can happen if you don't get help.

Symptoms

First of all, consider the symptoms of gum disease. While most people know about things like swollen gums and bleeding gums, there are other symptoms as well.

For example, if you tend to get things like popcorn kernels stuck under your gums, this could mean you have gum disease. This only tends to happen because the gums are pulling away from the teeth, which is a symptom of this disease.

Additionally, sometimes tooth pain is a side effect of gum disease. This is because as the gums recede, parts of the tooth that lack an enamel shell are exposed and the nerves in this area are very sensitive.

Tooth Loss

Believe it or not, what happens to your gums may not necessarily be limited to the gums. Having gum disease for an extended period of time can put your teeth at risk, too.

There are a few reasons for this. The most common is the aforementioned problem of the gums pulling away from the teeth. As the enamel-free parts of the tooth are exposed, they become highly vulnerable to bacteria, plaque, and tartar. They're even negatively impacted by brushing your teeth too harshly.

When you have your gums treated quickly, the gums will often return to their original position and will go back to doing their job of protecting the teeth. However, if you don't get help soon enough, you may require an additional restorative procedure in order to restore the gums' role in protecting the teeth.

Infection Spread

Lastly, infections in the gums often don't stay there. As with the rest of the body, if an infection rages for too long, it can spread through other parts of the body and infect them, too. Severe gum infections can potentially spread to the teeth or even the bloodstream, where they can wreak havoc and then require medical attention from a doctor, not just a dentist.

If your gums are in bad shape, there's no better time than now to get help for them. Get in touch with a dentist like Michael G Landy DDS and get the help you need to restore your gums to health.


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