Do You Know What Your Mouth Is Hiding? 3 Signs You Might Have Advanced Gum Disease
Posted on: 9 December 2017
When it comes to your teeth, it can be tempting to postpone your dental care, especially when everything seems normal. After all, if you're not feeling any pain, or you don't have any obvious cavities, you might think you're safe waiting a while to visit the dentist. Unfortunately, that's not actually true. You might not see any cavities, and you might not have any tooth pain, but that doesn't mean your teeth and gums are healthy. You could have gum disease and not even know it, especially if you don't know what you're looking for. Here are three tell-tale signs that you have undiagnosed gum disease. If you recognize any of these signs from your own mouth, you need to schedule a dental exam as soon as possible.
Gums That Have Turned Purple
If you haven't been watching the color of your gums, they might have undergone changes that you weren't aware of. Unfortunately, that could mean that you missed the earlier stages of gum disease, which would have turned your gums to a bright red color. Take a look at your gums, if they've turned a bright purple, you need to have them examined immediately. The bright purple color is a sign that you've entered the advanced stages of gum disease, which is called periodontitis.
Teeth That Appear Longer
Many people believe that it's normal for teeth to appear longer as they age, or for the gums to recede. However, that's not actually true. In fact, your teeth should stay the same size throughout adulthood. If your teeth are beginning to appear longer than they once were, it's a sign that your gums are receding, or that you're developing pockets around the roots of your teeth that are causing them to protrude from the gum line. These are other signs that you've developed advanced gum disease. It's time to stop postponing your dental visits.
Plaque Buildup on Your Tongue
You might not see plaque on your teeth, but that doesn't mean you don't have it. Even if your teeth don't have visible plaque deposits, there could still be significant plaque deposits below the gum line, which could irritate your gums and lead to gum disease. Take a look at your tongue. If you see a white plague-like substance on the surface of your tongue, you've probably got plaque hiding somewhere in your mouth. You need to have a dental exam as soon as possible.
Get in touch with a dental office like Family 1st Dental for more information.
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