What to Expect:
If bacterial growth is left uninterrupted, gum disease progresses through the following stages:
Early Gingivitis
The outer layer of skin is eaten away by bacteria. The bacterial buildup inches downward along the root and causes an inflammation of the gums. The inflammation then generates a pocket-shaped crevice between the tooth and the gum line (a veritable bacterial breeding ground!!). At this point the gums may show a little redness and may also bleed. A little dragon breath may also be present. There is usually no pain or discomfort at all.
Although the disease may not progress beyond these initial stages, early gingivitis presents other potential harms: bleeding gums mean that there is no skin protecting that area, and bacterial invasion into the bloodstream becomes facilitated. Other parts of your body risk infection. In fact, 60% of heart valve infections are traced to oral bacteria. At one point, physicians recommended that patients with damaged heart valves have all their teeth removed if gum disease was present! Thankfully other techniques are now used for heart valve patients -- but there is always a potentially dangerous problem when dealing with infection.
Moderate Periodontitis
The pocket generated by inflated gums becomes deeper (3 to 4mm deep), harbouring even more bacteria. The bacterial deposits actually begin to calcify, and cleaning your teeth at home becomes a much harder task. At this point your gums may begin to feel tender. Recession of the gum line is another indicator of this second stage.
Periodontitis (Advanced Gum Disease)
The gradual recession of the gum line becomes an obvious symptom. The worsening of breath is another sign that the disease is progressing. Bacterial invasion trenches deep enough into the gum line and begins eating away at the underlying bone -- the structures that holds your teeth in place. And once a certain amount of that bone is lost, teeth become loose in their sockets. At this point, bacterial deposits are now dug too deep to be removed by brushing or flossing and require professional treatment.
Periodontitis
Teeth will begin to drift out of place as more bone is lost. Abscesses and acute infections of the gums may begin to occur. If allowed to continue, the disease will literally destroy your jaw bone, at which point your teeth can no longer be supported and will fall out.
