What are the symptoms of periodontitis?
Healthy gums are firm to the touch and fit snugly around your teeth. In comparison, periodontitis symptoms include:
- Reddish or purplish gums.
- Swollen gums.
- Gums that bleed easily.
- Tender gums.
- Bad breath.
- Pus (infection) around your gum line.
- Loose teeth.
- Tooth loss.
- Gum recession (when your gums pull away from your teeth).
- Pain when chewing.
- New gaps or spaces between your teeth.
- Changes in the way your teeth fit together.
What causes periodontitis?
The main cause of periodontitis is poor oral hygiene. Bacteria cling to plaque and tartar on your teeth surfaces. If you don’t clean your teeth as well or as often as you should, bacteria travel down beneath your gum line, where your toothbrush and floss can’t reach. These harmful bacteria erode the tissues that support your teeth, leading to infection, bone loss and tooth loss.
Other factors can increase your risk of developing periodontitis, including:
Other risk factors for periodontitis
- Smoking, the most significant factor, weakens your body’s ability to fight infection.
- People with diabetes have a higher risk of developing infections, including periodontitis.
- Your genetics and family history can put you at higher risk for gum disease.
- Hormonal changes in women and people assigned female at birth, such as pregnancy or using birth control pills, can increase your chances of developing periodontitis.
- Health conditions that cause inflammation in your body — such as arthritis, COVID-19 and cardiovascular disease — are linked to periodontitis.
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What happens if periodontal disease goes untreated?
Periodontal disease progresses and becomes more problematic over time. There are four gum disease stages, including:
- Gingivitis: This is early-stage gum disease and it’s less severe than periodontitis. With gingivitis, your gums become red and swollen, but you haven’t started losing bone around your teeth yet. Gingivitis is reversible if you clean your teeth better and go to your dentist regularly for cleanings.
- Mild periodontitis: Left untreated, gingivitis turns into mild periodontitis. At this stage, your gums pull away from your teeth and you begin to lose some bone around them. As a result, you’ll develop periodontal pockets. Plaque, tartar and bacteria become trapped in these pockets, where your toothbrush and floss can’t reach.
- Moderate periodontitis: As periodontitis progresses, you lose even more bone around your teeth. Bacteria continue to erode the ligaments and soft tissues that support your teeth and keep them healthy. At this stage, your gums may become sore and tender.
- Severe periodontitis: When periodontitis remains untreated, the disease becomes more severe. As bone loss continues, your teeth may become loose and can potentially fall out. In addition to bleeding gums, there’s often pus and infection around your gum line, which can lead to chronic bad breath (halitosis).
In addition to poor oral health, periodontitis can result in poor overall health. Research highlights an important link between oral health and whole-body health. People with periodontitis have a higher risk of developing heart disease, stroke, dementia and other serious health issues.
