“No matter how healthy you keep your teeth your teeth depend on healthy gum tissue to keep them in place.” Says Dr. Pradeep who is working with one of the best ENT hospital in Vishakhapatnam. He also added that even a dental issue that might seem to be very small for you can actually have a lot of negative impact on your overall health. Your gum tissue also called gingiva has bone underneath it and that’s what anchors and supports the roots of your teeth. So if you have unhealthy gums oftentimes your bone won’t be healthy either which brings us to what’s the difference between gingivitis and periodontitis. There are different stages of gum disease.
In this article, our specialists from Pulp dental hospital will talk about the difference between gingivitis and periodontitis. Pulp dental hospital is one
of the best dental clinic in Nungambakkam, Chennai.
Table of Contents
Gingivitis
Let’s start with gingivitis. Gingy comes from the word gingiva which means gums and itis is the medical term for inflammation. So when you put these two together it means inflammation of your gingiva aka swollen gums.
Causes
Now the question is why does this happen or why do your gums get swollen? Well according to the best dentists across India, it’s because of issues like inadequate brushing and flossing which causes dental plaque which is the sticky white film that collects along the edges of your gums that needs to be cleaned off daily and even your diet can contribute to plaque levels such as not drinking enough water, having a diet that is high in processed carbs or not getting enough fresh fruits and vegetables and even if you’re a frequent snack eater as you’re probably going to have more bacteria in your mouth than someone who eats less snacks & sweets.
Difference Between Gingivitis & Periodontitis
So keeping that in mind there are different levels of severity when it comes to gingivitis or gum disease & periodontal disease or periodontitis. But to put it simply, gingivitis is the lowest stage of gum disease and at this level, you can still reverse it. So say you had some swollen gums due to plaque buildup on your teeth and you had the build-up cleaned off by your dentist and now you’re keeping up with your home care routine, brushing, flossing, etc. So now your gums might bounce right back to health. They had gingivitis and they were swollen but now after a proper dental cleaning and routine home care they can become healthy and firm.
However, if gingivitis progresses to periodontitis that can not be reversed and may even require surgery or some kind of gum procedure at minimal. If there’s buildup below your gum line you will need a deep cleaning aka scaling and root planing as well as more frequent re-care appointments throughout the year.
So again with gingivitis only the edges of your gums are inflamed, everything underneath them is still intact and it’s generally reversible but if it progresses into something worse like periodontitis those tissues start to pull away from your tooth and create pockets underneath your gums. These pockets mean the bone underneath your gums is shrinking away which can lead to bone loss. Once you have periodontitis it is not reversible although it does have a range of different stages from mild to severe depending on the level of pocketing underneath the gums, the level of bone loss, tissue deterioration and if tooth mobility is present where the teeth are wiggling or if structural damage is present.
Signs & Symptoms
So now that you know the difference between gingivitis and periodontitis how do you find out if you have it? The common signs are-
- Bad breath
- Gums that are tender or sensitive
- Bleeding when you brush or floss
- Gum recession
- Teeth that are loose or shifting
- Soreness when you bite down
- Changes in how your teeth bite be together also called occlusion
Diagnosis
If you smoke or use tobacco products you often will not notice any bleeding swelling or redness even with gum disease. So it’s especially important for those who smoke or use tobacco to get regular gum exams to make sure there’s no periodontal disease hiding out without you knowing about it. So having said that for everyone whether you smoke or not to get a firm confirmed answer if you have gum disease or not schedule a dental appointment with your dentist. They will use a special measuring tool called a periodontal probe to see how deep the pockets are underneath your gums. The deeper they are the more tissue that is lost from your tooth. Xrays are another diagnostic tool to tell how much bone loss and tartar there is.
Bottom Line
Lastly if losing your teeth due to gum disease isn’t scary enough then listen up research shows and proves that severe periodontal disease increases your chance and severity of heart disease and heart attack, high blood pressure, stroke, pneumonia, diabetes, infertility, and possibly even Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. But the great news is that those same scientific studies tell us that improving your gum health and treating periodontitis can have a positive impact on your overall health and wellness. So visit your dentist and make sure your gums are being checked.