What is gum disease and what are the early signs of it?

Gum disease affects 75 percent of the population, and most of the time it is detected around 35 years of age. Periodontal disease implies loss of the bone height supporting the teeth caused by bacteria. This can lead to movement of your teeth and/or loss of teeth.  Research has shown that gum disease and heart disease are more often than not connected.  Most of the time there is no pain to warn the patient that something is wrong.It starts slowly, but in some cases, it can be quite aggressive. Some symptoms that the patient may find are bleeding and swelling of the gums, change in position of the teeth, movement of a tooth or bad breath. Healthy gums NEVER bleed when brushing or flossing. At each dental hygiene appointment, your hygienist checks the health of your gums using a probe that measures the depth of the pockets in the gum., She will let you know if any measurement is deeper than 3mm ,which indicates  periodontal disease. If so, she will recommend to you to do your cleanings every 3 months in order to avoid accumulation of the bacteria responsible for it. This is a method that helps slow down or even stop the disease from spreading.  If a more severe condition is detected, a deeper cleaning must be done.   We need to make sure all tartar lodged deeper in the pockets is removed, The affected areas will be deep cleaned while you are frozen and comfortable. Antibiotics are also used to improve your tissue health.   This appointment will be followed up every 3 months with a visit to your hygienist for cleanings and examination.  . In these cases, deep cleanings are required as needed depending on the results detected at your regular hygiene appointment and your home care.