Early signs of periodontal disease

The early warning signs of every disease occur at a microscopic level. The early warning signs cannot be seen, felt, touched, diagnosed, or discovered. They cannot be noted by their symptoms. The early changes might be able to be detected by sophisticated chemical or biologic analysis, but not by normal diagnostic measures.

By the time you notice that your gums are bleeding (gingivitis), the disease has already been present for some time and it is not its earliest stage. It is not unusual to hear, "My gums have always bled like this," but treatment is not sought. Yet if our eyes started to bleed when we washed out faces, we would generally rush to seek medical treatment! Bleeding gums are not normal and healthy. Luckily, at this stage the periodontal disease is fairly easy to treat and is reversible. When the disease has progressed past the bleeding gum stage, you may notice some pain, gum recession, loosing of teeth, and bad breath. If you have ignored your bleeding gums (possible the earliest sign of gum disease) because your think it is

normal to have a little "pink" on your toothbrush, you will likely have additional symptoms and conditions associated with disease progression. At this point the bone and gum support for the teeth may be permanently altered and diminished.

At medenta we able to arrange an appointment with a dental practitioner, it is recommended that you adhere to the recommended dental clinic appointments. If you have your own natural teeth a dental practitioner will examine your gums for early signs of periodontal disease. A dental practitioner will note areas where it is difficult to remove plaque or where calculus forms and areas of gum tissue inflammation and will record probing depths, which will measure your gum tissue for signs of periodontal disease. A DCP can then demonstrate effective oral self-care to prevent these areas from progressing into periodontal disease

At medenta we stress prevention. However we are able to offer the provision of excellent high quality complete dentures, however do not wait for the warning signs of gum disease before you schedule a dental hygiene appointment. If you have very thorough oral self-care and this is done daily, a yearly cleaning exam by the dental hygienist and dentist may be adequate. If you do not spend time with adequate oral self-care, visiting a dental practice may be necessary. For your comfort a dental practitioner is available for your specific requirements and will let your know what is appropriate for your individual oral condition.

If you have any questions about full dentures, please feel free to ask us.