The early warning signs of every disease occur at a microscopic level. The early warning signs cannot be seen, felt, touched, diagnosed, or discovered. They cannot be noted by their symptoms. The early changes might be able to be detected by sophisticated chemical or biologic analysis, but not by normal diagnostic measures.
By the time you notice that your gums are bleeding (gingivitis), the disease has already been present for some time and it is not in its earliest stage. It is not unusual to hear, “My gums have always bled like this,” but treatment is not sought. Yet if our eyes started to bleed when we washed our faces, we would generally rush to seek medical treatment! Bleeding gums are not normal and healthy. Luckily, at this stage the periodontal disease is fairly easy to treat and is reversible. When the disease has progressed past the bleeding gum stage, you may notice some pain, gum recession, loosening of teeth, and bad breath. If you have ignored your bleeding gums (possibly the earliest sign of gum disease) because you think it is normal to have a little “pink” on your toothbrush, you will likely have additional symptoms and conditions associated with disease progression. At this point the bone and gum support for the teeth may be permanently altered and diminished.
