Gingivitis is a common condition. It is a minor form of gum disease, and nearly half of all adults experience it at any given time. Left untreated, gingivitis can worsen, becoming periodontitis. Periodontitis can lead to tooth loss and increase your risk of multiple health conditions, including heart disease, stroke, dementia, and more. 

Be aware of the symptoms of gum disease, including gingivitis, and know when it’s time to get professional care. At PermaDent, we offer gum disease treatment to help you have healthier gums to preserve your teeth and overall health.

Symptoms of Gingivitis

Gum disease can be notoriously hard to spot at first. It’s often not until the symptoms become more serious that people notice that they have a problem. Some common symptoms of gingivitis include:

  • Reddened gums
  • Swollen gums
  • Gum tenderness
  • Bleeding after eating, brushing, or flossing
  • Persistent bad breath or taste in the mouth

Identifying gum disease in its early stages can be challenging because you might not know what healthy gums look like. If you don’t know what your gums look like when healthy, how can you tell when they are reddened or swollen? Often, gingivitis doesn’t affect your entire mouth at once, so you can look at your gums in different areas to see if they are redder or puffier in some places. 

Otherwise, people start to notice gingivitis when their gums are sensitive. If eating, flossing, or brushing hurts your gums, you likely have gingivitis. The next step in the development of gingivitis is when your gums start bleeding whenever you disturb them. 

Everybody has bad breath sometimes, but if you have bad breath or a foul taste in your mouth all the time, it’s probably related to gum disease (or an infected tooth).

Risk Factors for Gingivitis

As we noted, gingivitis is very common. However, some risk factors can make gum disease more likely, such as:

  • Being male
  • Pregnancy
  • Diabetes
  • A carbohydrate-rich diet
  • Smoking or using smokeless tobacco
  • Age
  • Certain medications
  • Poor home hygiene routine
  • Not visiting the dentist regularly

Some of these factors are under your control. If you want to avoid gingivitis and gum disease, it’s important to review your diet and home hygiene routine and make regular dental visits. Quit smoking or using smokeless tobacco. Talk to your doctor about your medications. If any of your medications influence your gum disease risk, see if there are alternatives you can try or learn what additional steps you should take to control your risk.

Follow Up with Your Regular Dentist about Gingivitis

If you have gingivitis symptoms, you can address it simply with home care. Take extra care with your home hygiene, watch your diet, and take similar steps. However, you should see your dentist about gingivitis if you have:

  • Gone more than six months without a dental appointment
  • A family history of severe gum disease
  • Other periodontitis risk factors
  • Difficulty eating, brushing, or flossing because of symptoms
  • Health conditions that gum disease can make worse, like diabetes or heart disease
  • Periodontitis symptoms (more on this below)

If any of these describe your condition, you must schedule a dental appointment as soon as possible. 

Unless you have symptoms of concern, you can wait until your next regular dental appointment to talk to your dentist about gingivitis.

When to Get Treatment at PermaDent

At PermaDent, we are specialists who can treat severe gum disease, including dental surgery in Torrance for the most serious stages of the condition. Your dentist may refer you to us, or you can contact us for treatment if your:

  • Gums bleed spontaneously
  • Gums hurt constantly
  • Teeth are suddenly more sensitive to heat and cold
  • Food keeps getting stuck between teeth and gums
  • Gums are receding (teeth look like they’re getting longer)
  • Teeth are loose or drifting

When you have these symptoms, it suggests that you have developed periodontitis, the severe form of gum disease. When this happens, your health risks get much worse, including your risk of tooth loss. 

Depending on the stage of your periodontitis, we may be able to save your teeth. However, sometimes, treating gum disease might include tooth extraction. If that’s the case, we can discuss using dental implants to replace your teeth once your gum disease is under control.

Advanced Gum Disease Treatment in Torrance

For gingivitis symptoms, you should follow up with your regular dentist. However, for more severe forms of gum disease, PermaDent can provide all forms of treatment, including tooth extraction, dental implants, and bone regeneration when necessary. 

To get treatment for your severe gum disease, please call (310) 325-9969  today to request an appointment at PermaDent in Torrance, CA.