Gum, or periodontal diseases rarely cause symptoms. Hence, a lot of people are unaware that they have existing gum disease. In fact, periodontal diseases are prevalent both in developed and developing countries and affect quite a large population.
The serious form of gum disease is called periodontitis. It is a chronic inflammatory disease that destroys the supporting structures of the teeth and the surrounding bone. The common signs of periodontal disease include gradual loosening of the teeth; receding gums resulting in longer looking teeth with obvious gaps in between, thus compromising aesthetics; swollen and bleeding gums; bad breath and eventual tooth loss.
There are also increasing evidence that periodontal diseases are associated with systemic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, adverse pregnancy outcomes, just to name a few.
