How To Know If You Have Periodontal Disease

The oral cavity is composed of the teeth, the jaw bone, the soft tissue (the gums, lips, cheeks, floor of the mouth) and the periodontal fibers — and health can only be declared when all of these structures are found at perfect health. The teeth, although the main structure of the mouth, is not the only structure you have to concern yourself with because the soft tissues are even weaker than the teeth and therefore more susceptible to disease.

At health, the gums are supposed to be of a coral pink color and should appear to have stipplings like an orange peal on its surface. When gum disease ensues the infection all these healthy characteristics may not be present anymore and you will find the gums to be reddish and bleeding, and may even present with some pus formation to indicate severity of infection. Severe gum infection will almost automatically mean loss of attachment, so that the bone and the roots will be exposed, further compromising oral health.

The main thing that differentiates Gingivitis with Periodontitis is bone involvement. When the infection spreads further, it will spread from the soft tissue into the bone and there will be significant bone loss. Often, earlier stages of bone loss is only confirmed with a radiograph but when the condition is more severe, the clinical appearance of the mouth will be evidence enough. In other words, bone loss is more pronounced and easily detected.