Gum Disease: Symptoms, Causes and Treatments
Periodontics · Patient Education
What is gum disease?
Gum (periodontal) disease is a bacterial infection of the tissues that surround and support your teeth. It begins quietly as inflammation of the gums and, left untreated, can progress to destroy the bone that holds teeth in place — making it the leading cause of tooth loss in adults.
A periodontist is the dental specialist focused on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of gum disease and on the placement of dental implants. Early evaluation is what makes the difference: caught early, gum disease is highly treatable, and the damage can often be stopped before teeth and bone are lost.
Gum disease is increasingly understood as more than a problem in the mouth. Chronic oral inflammation and bacteria have been linked to conditions elsewhere in the body — including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and pregnancy complications. Read more about the connection on our oral-systemic health page.
Gum disease symptoms
Gum disease is often silent, meaning symptoms may not appear until the advanced stages. However, warning signs of gum disease include the following:
- Red, swollen, or tender gums, or other pain in your mouth
- Bleeding while brushing, flossing, or eating hard food
- Gums that are receding or pulling away from the teeth, causing the teeth to look longer than before
- Loose or separating teeth
- Pus between your gums and teeth
- Sores in your mouth
- Persistent bad breath
- A change in the way your teeth fit together when you bite
- A change in the fit of partial dentures
Causes & risk factors
Gum disease starts with dental plaque — a sticky film of bacteria that constantly forms on the teeth. When plaque is not removed by daily brushing and flossing and regular professional cleanings, it hardens into tartar and the bacteria trigger an inflammatory response that damages the gums and, over time, the underlying bone.
Several factors can increase your risk or accelerate how quickly the disease progresses:
- Inadequate plaque control and irregular professional cleanings
- Smoking and tobacco use
- Diabetes and other systemic inflammatory conditions
- Genetic susceptibility and family history
- Hormonal changes (pregnancy, menopause)
- Certain medications that reduce saliva or cause gum overgrowth
- Clenching and grinding, which add stress to compromised support
Types of gum disease
Gingivitis
Gingivitis is the mildest form of periodontal disease. It causes the gums to become red, swollen, and bleed easily. There is usually little or no discomfort at this stage. Luckily, gingivitis is reversible with professional treatment and good at-home oral care.
Periodontitis
Untreated gingivitis can advance to periodontitis. With time, plaque can spread and grow below the gum line. Toxins produced by the bacteria in plaque irritate the gums and stimulate a chronic inflammatory response in which the body essentially turns on itself, and the tissues and bone that support the teeth are broken down and destroyed. Gums separate from the teeth, forming pockets between the teeth and gums that can become infected. As the disease progresses, the pockets deepen and more gum tissue and bone are destroyed. Eventually, teeth can become loose and may fall out or need to be removed.
Periodontitis diagnosis is typically classified by stage and grade. After your periodontist conducts a thorough assessment of your unique case, he or she may assign a stage ranging from initial to severe that describes the acuteness of disease. Additionally, your periodontist may assign a grade which communicates the rate of disease progression and anticipated response to treatment.
Why tooth loss happens
Think of your teeth like fence posts set in concrete. The tooth itself may be perfectly healthy, but if the supporting bone and gums are destroyed, the tooth loses its foundation.
A tooth can have no cavities at all and still be lost because the bone that once held it in place has disappeared. That is why protecting the foundation — the gums and the bone beneath them — is central to keeping your natural teeth for life.
Why see a periodontist?
A periodontist is a dental specialist who completes several additional years of advanced training after dental school, focused specifically on the gums, the bone, and the structures that support your teeth. Where a general dentist looks after your overall dental care, a periodontist concentrates on preserving and rebuilding that foundation.
That advanced focus covers:
- Gum disease — diagnosis, treatment, and long-term control
- Bone loss around natural teeth and implants
- Dental implants and implant-supported restorations
- Regenerative procedures that rebuild lost support
- Soft-tissue and gum grafting
Treatment options
Treatment is matched to the stage of disease. Gingivitis can usually be reversed with a professional cleaning and improved home care. Once periodontitis has set in, the goal is to control the infection, reduce pocket depth, and rebuild lost support — beginning with non-surgical scaling and root planing and, where needed, progressing to surgical and regenerative procedures.
For severe cases where teeth have already been lost, dental implants and implant-supported restorations can restore function and appearance. Explore the full range on the services page.
How a periodontist treats gum disease
Treatment depends on how advanced the disease is and is tailored to your individual case:
- 1
Deep cleaning (scaling and root planing)
The first step is removing bacteria and tartar from beneath the gum line, which reduces inflammation, helps the gums heal, and slows the disease.
- 2
Laser or advanced antimicrobial therapy
In some cases, targeted therapies are used to reduce harmful bacteria and support healing.
- 3
Periodontal maintenance
Patients with a history of gum disease typically need more frequent professional cleanings to keep it from returning.
- 4
Regenerative procedures
Where bone has already been lost, bone grafting, guided tissue regeneration, and growth-factor therapy can help rebuild lost support around the teeth.
- 5
Gum grafting
For gum recession, healthy tissue can be placed over exposed roots to protect the teeth from further damage.
Gum Disease Treatment (Gingivitis and Periodontitis)
We provide professional treatment for gum inflammation (gingivitis) and more advanced gum disease (periodontitis). Early intervention includes thorough cleaning to remove plaque and tartar, while advanced cases may require deeper cleaning and surgical intervention to prevent tooth loss.
Root Planing and Scaling
A crucial procedure for treating gum disease, root planing and scaling involve deep cleaning below the gum line to remove bacterial buildup and smooth the tooth roots. This helps prevent further gum recession and promotes healing.
Periodontal Surgery and Gum Grafting
In cases where gum disease has caused significant damage, we offer surgical solutions to repair and regenerate damaged gum tissue. This may include flap surgery to clean deep pockets or gum grafting to replace lost tissue.
Dental Implants and Implant-Supported Prosthesis
We provide dental implant solutions for patients who have lost teeth due to gum disease or other factors. Implants are a permanent replacement option that offers superior stability compared to traditional dentures.
Periodontal Disease
Retain your original teeth for a lifetime of oral health.
Dental Implants
Implants have the look, the feel and function of normal teeth.
Gum & Bone Grafting
We can now grow bone where needed to restore functionality.
Esthetic Crown Lengthening
You may already have a great smile and not know it!
Preserving your natural teeth
Modern periodontics is not simply about treating disease — it is about preserving the health, function, and longevity of your smile. The earlier gum disease is found, the more likely it is that the damage can be stopped, natural teeth saved, and extensive reconstruction avoided later. Better still is to avoid it altogether — see how to keep your gums healthy with simple daily habits.
As a specialist in periodontics, implant dentistry, and oral reconstruction, Dr. Smith Smith focuses on identifying disease before significant tooth and bone loss occur, rebuilding the foundation of the mouth through advanced regenerative procedures, preserving natural teeth whenever possible, and restoring function with dental implants when necessary.
Concerned about your gums?
Bleeding gums, recession, or loose teeth shouldn't be ignored. A focused periodontal evaluation identifies the stage of disease and the most conservative path to protect your teeth and bone. Learn about gum disease treatment in Austin.
This information is provided for educational purposes and is not a substitute for a professional evaluation. Diagnosis and treatment should always be determined by a qualified dental professional based on your individual condition.