What Is Periodontal Disease?

Periodontal (gum) disease is one of the most widespread diseases in the world today. Most people don’t know that they have periodontal disease because it doesn’t hurt. It’s up to your dentist and your hygienist to make a proper diagnosis of periodontal disease. There are really only two diseases in dentistry, and all of us kind of know about tooth decay, but sometimes we forget about the importance of treating and managing gum disease. 

Gum disease is when the gums get inflamed, and bacteria crawl underneath the gums and end up near the bone. If the bacteria stay there long enough, it ends up melting the bone away, causing a gum infection, and that bone supports the adjacent teeth in the area. So your teeth can get loose again in a very painless fashion. If you notice that your gums are a little swollen or puffy or bleed when you brush them, come on and have us look.