First symptoms: Bleeding gums can be the first sign of early periodontitis.Main symptoms: In advanced periodontitis, the gums are visibly red or swollen. In addition, the teeth are sensitive to heat and cold and hurt. Bad breath can also occur.Accompanying symptoms: More severe periodontitis can cause teeth to become loose.Rare symptoms: The infection can progress to a serious illness with unexplained fever, jaw lock, difficulty swallowing, slurred speech, and swelling of the face and neck.
Early symptoms
Periodontitis, the inflammation of the periodontium, often begins gradually and goes unnoticed by the patient for a long time. The first sign of early periodontitis can be bleeding gums. For example, it occurs after brushing your teeth or after biting into an apple. At this stage of the disease, bleeding gums are a sign that the gums have become inflamed.
When healthy, the gums are firm and fit tightly around the teeth. Its color can vary: in some people it is light pink, dark pink or brown. However, when periodontitis begins, the gums may swell slightly and become reddish in color. This is the body’s response to the inflammation that develops in this area.
Many people do not take these early signs seriously or attribute them to other causes such as improper dental care or brushing too hard. It is particularly important at this early stage of periodontitis to see a dentist and have the symptoms clarified. The earlier periodontitis is detected, the better the chances of treating it successfully and preventing permanent damage to the teeth and jawbone.
Main symptoms
As periodontitis progresses, the symptoms can worsen. An important sign is visible redness or swelling of the gums. It may also be tender and bleed easily when touched. You can recognize this, for example, if your toothbrush is pink or if there is blood on the tooth. All of these are signs that the inflammation is spreading and increasingly affecting the gums.
Another symptom is bad breath that doesn’t go away. It is caused by bacteria that cause periodontitis. These bacteria produce sulfur compounds that smell unpleasant. As periodontal disease progresses, teeth may become sensitive to heat and cold and may become painful. Because the inflammation attacks the jawbone and breaks it down. This also causes the gums to recede and the necks of the teeth are exposed. The teeth look longer and react more sensitively to temperature differences.
Accompanying symptoms
Accompanying symptoms are often non-specific, so that an accompanying symptom that occurs does not necessarily indicate a specific disease. In the case of periodontitis, this can be the loosening of the teeth. This usually only occurs in severe periodontitis when the bone loss has exceeded a certain level. The gums continue to recede and the teeth no longer have a firm grip on the jaw. They can wobble and eventually fail.
Rare symptoms
In some cases, the infection caused by periodontitis can spread beyond the oral cavity. This can lead to serious illnesses and manifest itself in a number of symptoms that are not initially necessarily associated with periodontitis.
One such symptom may be unexplained fever. Other signs of a spreading infection may include jaw lock, difficulty swallowing, slurred speech, and swelling of the face and neck.
About the author
Lucia Windhoff is an experienced communications expert with a bachelor’s degree in media studies and art history as well as a master’s degree in communications management. She has diverse professional experience in different industries such as automotive, e-commerce and food. She has been at Burda Forward for almost three years, where she initially worked in campaign management for the health and lifestyle areas before moving to the health editorial team. There she deals intensively with various diseases and their causes, symptoms and prevention.