Many people are not aware of the symptoms or signs of gum disease.  Others will ignore any signs they may have noticed and delay or never seek help.  The patient you see in the pictures came to us because he had noticed one of his front central incisor and canine had started dropping out of his gum.  The pictures also show infection and bleeding around the teeth.  Unfortunately this 42 year old gentleman came to us too late and the only option was to extract the teeth that had become too loose to save and give him a denture. 

Gum disease is an infection in the gum.  It is progressive which means that it starts in a mild form and if left untreated gradually gets worse and worse.  The early signs of gum disease are of bleeding gums either when brushing or flossing.  The gum can also look puffy and red.   As the disease gets worse the bleeding may be more spontaneous for example patients may notice that if they bite into an apple there is blood on it.  At this point the disease can then start to spread into the bone that supports the teeth.  As the disease spreads into the bone, the bone will shrink away and if left untreated can then lead to tooth loosening.  As the disease progresses patients usually find it painful to floss or brush the teeth properly and this will make things worse. 

Below is a summary of  signs/ symptoms of gum disease-

Bleeding gums

Swollen /puffy gums

BAD BREATH

Gum peeling away from the tooth

The treatment of gum disease is simple and effective and if caught early  tooth loss can be avoided.    At dental elegance we have treated many patients successfully and painlessly.  Unfortunately the patient in these pictures came to us when it was too late.

So if you are worried that you may have gum disease  seek help early please call us on 020 8850 8820 to have an assessment.