What is gum disease?

Gum disease explains swelling, soreness or infection of the tissues supporting the teeth.  There are two main shapes of gum disease: gingivitis and periodontal disease.

What is gingivitis?

Gingivitis means irritation of the gums. This is when the gums around the teeth become very red and enlarged.  Often the swollen gums bleed when they are brushed at some stage in cleaning.

What is periodontal disease?

Long-standing gingivitis can turn into periodontal illness. There are a number of types of periodontal illness and they all influence the tissues supporting the teeth.  As the disease gets worse the bone anchoring the teeth in the jaw is lost, making the teeth loose.  If this is not take care of, the teeth may eventually fall out.

What happens if gum disease is not treated?

Gum disease growths painlessly on the whole so that you do notice the harm it is doing.  On the other hand, the bacteria are from time to time more active and this makes your gums painful.  This can lead to gum abscesses.  Over a number of years, the bone supporting the teeth can be lost. If the disease is left untreated for a long time, treatment can turn out to be more hard.