For people who don’t have gum disease, terms like gingivitis can seem like vague concerns that don’t really concern them. However, not everyone who has gum disease knows it, or realizes that gingivitis is the first stage of it, and ignoring it will allow the disease to become a much bigger threat to their smiles before long. Today, we explore what having gingivitis really means for your smile, and why its seemingly minor early symptoms should be considered significant warnings.

The symptoms that seem minor

Gingivitis, or early gum disease, develops over time as certain types of harmful oral bacteria accumulate along your gum line. This can lead to many of the bacteria shifting underneath the tissues, where you can’t brush and floss them away, leading to an infection in your gums. This infection is referred to as gingivitis, and as it develops, you may notice early signs such as redness, swelling, and bleeding in your gum tissues. However, in its early stages, the visible impacts of gingivitis are relatively minor, and for many patients, they’re easy to overlook until they become more serious.

The progression of a serious problem

If you don’t heed the warning of early gingivitis signs, or if you don’t notice them at first, then gingivitis will progress and begin to affect much more of your periodontal health. The infection progresses and the damage to your gum tissues becomes more significant, potentially leading to permanent erosion of some of the tissues. In severe cases, gum disease can affect the jawbone structure underneath your gum tissues, as well, creating a domino effect that weakens your dental ridge and can lead to the loss of one or more teeth.

The potentially severe consequences

Because of the sometimes discreet nature of gum disease’s progression, many people experience its severe stages before they seek treatment for it. This may also contribute to severe gum disease being the most common cause for adults to lose one or more teeth. However, the presence of severe gum disease can also have potentially severe consequences well beyond your oral health. In some cases, the chronic inflammation that accompanies the condition can also lead to heightened risks of developing other chronic inflammatory conditions, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Learn what gingivitis could mean for your smile

If you develop gingivitis, the condition can be a sign of a greater threat to your smile than you might realize at first. To learn more, schedule a consultation by calling Modern Smile in North Hollywood, CA, today at 818-763-9353. We also proudly serve patients who live in Burbank, Toluca Lake, and all surrounding communities.