Are you at risk? Answer these questions to know your risk factor for gum disease. Call us for a complete examination.

(You will need a mirror and a flash light)

  1. How long has it been since you have had a complete examination?
  2. How long has it been since your last hygiene visit (cleaning or periodontal maintenance)?
  3. Does anyone in your immediate family have gum disease or tooth loss?
  4. Do you floss your teeth daily?
  5. Do your gums ever bleed?
  6. Have you noticed spaces between your teeth, and are they getting bigger?
  7. Do your gums ever feel swollen and tender?
  8. Do your teeth look longer or are your gums receding?
  9. Do you have persistant bad breath?
  10. Have you ever seen or tasted pus coming from the teeth?
  11. Have you noticed a change in the way your teeth fit together when you bite?
1. How long has it been since you have had a complete examination? If it has been more than the recommended year since you have had a complete examination you could be at risk. Gum disease is mostly silent. In other words you may not even notice the early subtle signs of the disease. Perhaps it has been many years since your last complete exam, or maybe you have never experienced a complete or comprehensive exam. In this case you are at high risk for having periodontal disease. It is estimated that ___% of adults have some stage of gum disease.
2. How long has it been since your last hygiene visit (cleaning or periodontal maintenance)? Healthy patients have cleanings every 6 months as a means to prevent gum disease. Patients who have had gum and bone destroyed by this disease first have treatment to halt the disease destruction. After the active treatment they have a periodontal maintenance done every 3 or 4 months for the rest of their life. If your last hygiene visit has been longer than what is recommended then you are at greater risk. Did you know that the sooner gum disease is detected the better chance you have of saving your teeth?
3. Does anyone in your immediate family have gum disease or tooth loss? Gum disease has a strong hereditary tendancy. This means that you are at greater risk of having gum diesase if your parents or grandparents lost their teeth due to gum disease. This doesn’t mean that you also have to lose your teeth. Your hope lies in early diagnosis, treatment and proper maintenance.
4. Do you floss your teeth daily? Daily effective flossing reduces or prevents the start of gum disease. There are four surfaces of every tooth that must be cleaned free of bacteria to prevent gum disease. Two surfaces can be reached with a brush, the cheek side and the tongue side. Two of these surfaces, front and back, can only be reached by floss or plastic tooth picks. These surfaces are the ones that are between teeth. The key to brushing and flossing is how effective it is being done. Most people are trying hard to clean these surfaces but since they can’t see inside their mouth they don’t know bacteria is being left to eventually destroy the gum and bone. We act as your second set of eyes and show you effective techniques so you can clean your teeth better.
5. Do your gums ever bleed? Bleeding gums are always a sign of disease. Gum disease happens in stages and one of the first signs of early gum disease is bleeding. So this is an important time to have a dental examination as your chances for healing are best. Unfortunately people don’t always notice bleeding or don’t recognize that it is an important early warning sign. If our scalp bled when we brushed our hair we would worry, but somehow when our gums bleed when brushing it is ignored. In advanced gum disease the infection is so deep that you don’t stimulate the base of the infected gum, therefore you don’t bleed. So the lack of bleeding can give you a false sense of health. Only an examination and x-rays can assure you that your gums are healthy.
6. Have you noticed spaces between your teeth, and are they getting bigger? Spaces between your teeth can be a very serious sign of gum disease. It may mean that the disease has destroyed enough bone that the teeth are becoming loose and are drifting. Spaces at the necks of the teeth also indicate bone loss. But you may have this disease and not see any of these changes.
7. Do your gums ever feel swollen and tender? Swelling and tenderness of the gums is a sign of inflammation. It may be caused by a popcorn hull getting caught under the gum or more commonly by the bacteria and tartar that develop under your gum. If you have a dental visit right away chances are good that you can prevent periodontal disease. Perhaps months or years have gone by since you first noticed this sign. There is hope, don’t wait any longer if you want to keep your teeth. Many times we can stop the progression the gum disease and save your teeth. It will require that you change a few things in the way you care for your teeth daily, and how often you come to the dentist.
8. Do your teeth look longer or are your gums receding? There are several things that cause receding gums. When this happens your teeth will look longer. Recession is caused by something damaging the gums. When the gum pulls away from the tooth then the bone is also lost. If this continues over time the tooth can be lost. The common reasons for this to happen are gum disease, toothbrush abrasion, and a traumatic bite. If you notice this happening to your teeth call us for an examination so the cause can be found and steps taken to keep it from getting worse.
9. Do you have persistant bad breath? Persistent bad breath can be caused by disease in your mouth, disease in your sinuses, or stomach problems. Bactreria give off an odor, especially those bacteria that hide deep inside the pockets of the gums caused by gum disease. Mouthwashes will only mask this odor temporarily. In some cases the ingredients in the mouthwashes can make the problem worse. In any event you cannot kill the bacteria that hide deep around the tooth with a mouthwash.
10. Have you ever seen or tasted pus coming from the teeth? Pus is the body’s defense against outside attack. This can be a serious sign of gum disease. When pus escapes from under the gums the patient usually doesn’t have pain since the pressure doesn’t build up. If the pus can’t escape then swelling and pain are present. This tooth may have advanced gum disease and treatment is urgently needed..
11. Have you noticed a change in the way your teeth fit together when you bite? Gum disease is one reason that a person may feel a change in the way their teeth fit together. When bone support is lost around the neck of the tooth this tooth can easily change it’s position slightly. When this happens your bite will not fit together quite right. Sometimes this is painful but usually there is no pain even at this advanced stage of gum disease.