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Gum disease: the signs, and what happens next

Direct billingCDCP registeredSame dentist every visit

Gum disease is an infection of the tissue that holds your teeth in. Caught early, it can be reversed. Your gums are checked at your cleanings here, and if they need treatment we refer you to another office for it.

What it isAn infection of the gums and boneWhere it is foundAt your regular cleaningCaught earlyUsually reversibleIf it needs treatmentReferred to another office

What happens here

How gum disease is found, and what comes next

Most gum disease is picked up at a routine cleaning, long before it hurts.

At your cleaningThe hygienist measures your gums as part of every cleaning. That is how the early stage is usually caught.
The numbersShallow readings are healthy. Deeper pockets, bleeding, or bone loss on an x-ray are what the dentist looks at with you.
Early stageGingivitis is usually settled by a professional cleaning and better care at home, both of which start here.
If it has gone furtherWe refer you to another office for gum treatment, and tell you what we found and why.
Gums bleeding when you brush?Request AppointmentCall 780-434-8749

Do you recognise this

The signs, and what they mean

Gum disease is slow and usually painless, which is why most people miss it. These are the things worth acting on.

Bleeding when you brushThe most common first sign, and the easiest one to explain away. Healthy gums do not bleed when brushed.
Red, swollen or tender gumsInflammation is the body responding to bacteria under the gum line. It does not settle on its own.
Bad breath that keeps coming backBacteria below the gum line produce the smell. Brushing and mints cover it rather than clear it.
Teeth that look longerThat is the gum receding rather than the tooth growing. It exposes the root, which is softer and more sensitive.
A bad taste that will not shiftOften the first thing a patient mentions, and often infection draining from a pocket.
Teeth that feel loose or have movedThe latest sign, and the most urgent. It means support has already been lost.

What is measured

What the numbers mean

These are the depths the hygienist is calling out when your gums are measured.

The dashed line is the gumline. The colour is the pocket: how far the gum has come away from the tooth.

  1. Healthy1 to 3 mmA regular cleaning reaches the bottom of this.
  2. Early4 to 5 mmA regular cleaning no longer reaches it.
  3. Advanced6 mm and deeperBone has been lost. This needs gum treatment.
Depth is measured around every tooth before anything is decided. The number is what separates a regular cleaning from treatment, not how the gums look.

How far along

Gingivitis, or periodontitis?

They are the same disease at two stages, and the difference decides how much can be undone.

If
Your gums bleed and look red, but nothing feels loose
Then
GingivitisInflammation of the gum only. This stage is reversible, and a thorough clean plus better home care usually settles it.
If
Gums have receded and teeth look longer than they did
Then
Early periodontitisThe infection has reached the bone that holds the tooth. Treatment stops it going further, but the support already lost does not come back. We refer you for it.
If
Teeth feel loose, have shifted, or bite differently
Then
Advanced periodontitisA significant amount of support has gone. We refer you for treatment, which aims to save what can be saved.

Only an examination with gum measurements tells you which one you have. The signs overlap, and the early stages are usually painless.

Between visits

Keeping your gums healthy

What happens between appointments decides more than the appointments do.

Clean along and just under the gum lineThat is where the bacteria sit. Ask at your cleaning and the hygienist will show you the technique and the tools that reach where the brush does not.
Keep your cleaningsRegular cleanings are where gum disease is caught early, while it can still be reversed.
Do not wait for painGum disease rarely hurts until it is well along. Bleeding is the signal worth acting on.
Smoking makes it worseIt reduces blood flow to the gums, so they heal worse and the disease comes back faster. It is the single biggest factor.

A regular cleaning, or gum treatment?

Regular cleaning

Done here
  • Above the gum line, and a little below it.
  • For healthy gums, and for gingivitis, to settle it.
  • Usually one appointment, no freezing.
  • Pockets are shallow and the bone is where it should be.

Gum treatment

Referred to another office
  • Below the gum line, down the root surface, where the bacteria are.
  • For gums already losing attachment. It is treatment, not maintenance.
  • Often more than one appointment, usually with freezing.
  • Pockets are too deep for a regular cleaning to reach.

Which one you need is measured, not judged by eye. If the numbers are shallow, your gums are cleaned here the ordinary way.

Opens at 8am, Monday to Saturday

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780-434-8749
2118 109 St NW, Edmonton, AB T6J 7C1
In Heritage Square, right next to the IDA Pharmacy
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FAQ

What are the early signs of gum disease?

Red, swollen or bleeding gums, persistent bad breath, tenderness when brushing, gums that are receding so teeth look longer, a bad taste in the mouth, and teeth that feel loose or have shifted. Early gum disease is often painless, which is why it is easy to miss.

Do you treat gum disease at Heritage Dental Centre?

Gum disease that needs treatment is referred to another office. Your gums are checked at your regular cleanings here, and the early stage, gingivitis, is usually settled with a professional cleaning and better care at home.

Why do my gums bleed when I brush?

Most often it is gingivitis, the early and reversible stage of gum disease. Healthy gums do not bleed when brushed, so it is worth booking a cleaning and checkup rather than brushing more gently and hoping it stops.

What is the difference between gingivitis and periodontitis?

Gingivitis is inflammation of the gums and it is reversible. Periodontitis is the later stage, where the infection has reached the bone and the structures holding the teeth in place. Periodontitis can be managed and stabilised but the lost support does not grow back.

Will my gums grow back?

Gum tissue that has receded does not grow back on its own. The purpose of treatment is to stop the disease progressing and protect the support that remains.

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