{"id":1311,"date":"2020-12-11T10:08:59","date_gmt":"2020-12-11T15:08:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hillcrestdentalva.com\/?p=1311"},"modified":"2023-01-16T12:16:15","modified_gmt":"2023-01-16T17:16:15","slug":"4-signs-that-you-have-gum-disease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hillcrestdentalva.com\/4-signs-that-you-have-gum-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Signs That You have Gum Disease"},"content":{"rendered":"

Your gums are an important aspect of your dental health. Their condition is closely connected with your teeth but also your overall dental health. Signs of gum disease<\/a> (also known as periodontal disease) can indicate serious issues with your teeth, and perhaps even your overall health. If not addressed properly, gum disease can lead to painful infections and teeth loss.<\/p>\n

Hillcrest Dental provides numerous general dentistry services aimed at treating and preventing gum disease. Our highly-trained Blue Ridge VA dentist<\/a> and staff will help you recognize the symptoms and suggest a course of treatment to ensure your teeth and gums remain healthy for years to come.<\/p>\n

Below, we discuss the four main signs of gum disease and what each could mean regarding your dental health:<\/p>\n

Bleeding Gums<\/h2>\n

Simply put, your gums should not bleed when you floss or brush your teeth. If they do, that means that bacteria has built up beneath your gums, causing them to bleed and spread more harmful bacteria in your mouth.<\/p>\n

In addition, symptoms like gum swelling, redness, soreness, and tooth sensitivity, along with bleeding, indicates that your gums are suffering from a mild but soon-to-be severe infection. A dentist will be able to identify the severity of the infection and explain the proper course of action to help maintain and even restore your gums.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, gum disease has been linked to serious medical risks<\/a> such as heart attack or stroke. This is because, as your gums bleed, harmful bacteria enter from your mouth and into your bloodstream. From there, the bacteria can then cause clots, thus increasing the chances of a heart attack or stroke.<\/p>\n

Gum Recession<\/h2>\n

Have you noticed your teeth appearing to be \u201clonger\u201d than they were before? This often happens when another sign of gum disease is present: gum recession.<\/p>\n

The gum tissue around your tooth does usually recede as you grow older, but if your dentist notices that it\u2019s happening rather quickly, that means you may have a serious case of gum disease that\u2019s quickly progressing.<\/p>\n

To identify if the progress of your gum recession is indicative of gum disease, you\u2019ll need to schedule an appointment<\/a> with your dentist.<\/p>\n

They will measure the outer surface of your tooth to determine how much of your gum tissue has recessed over time. This can then help your dentist decide what treatments to recommend and whether you should have a specialist involved or not.<\/p>\n

Tooth Sensitivity<\/h2>\n

Sensitivity is another common sign of gum disease, and further stems from gum recession. As your gums recede, more of the root surface of your tooth becomes exposed.<\/p>\n

This exposure makes the root of your tooth more vulnerable to decay, deterioration, greater sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures, and can eventually lead to tooth loss.<\/p>\n

Take note of how your teeth feel when you\u2019re consuming hot or cold beverages. If your teeth are becoming unbearably sensitive, that means that your symptoms are worsening. A quick dental check-up can indicate whether this is related to gum disease.<\/p>\n

High Blood Sugar<\/h2>\n

Another significant sign of gum disease is having high blood sugar. A higher blood sugar often means that a person has or is at risk of having type 2 diabetes, which has an interchangeable relationship with gum disease. This means that those with type 2 diabetes<\/a> also often have a higher risk of having gum disease and vice versa.<\/p>\n

As high blood sugar is a sign of gum disease in itself, it\u2019s important to know the symptoms to recognize whether or not you have it. Here are some of the signs of high blood sugar:<\/p>\n