What does gingivitis look like?

What does gingivitis look like?

Cleveland Clinic says gingivitis looks like gums that are red and swollen and bleed easily, especially when you brush. ADA MouthHealthy describes the same picture: gums that look red and swollen and bleed easily, often during brushing or flossing, with bad breath possible. Healthy gums, by contrast, are not red, swollen or bleeding. Because the early signs are mild, a mirror check helps: look along the gumline for redness or puffiness and notice whether the gums are shiny or bleed on touch.

How do you know if you have gingivitis?

Cleveland Clinic says early on the symptoms may not be obvious, so you can have gingivitis without knowing it. As it progresses, you may notice persistent bad breath after brushing, gums that bleed easily, red and swollen gums, sensitivity to hot or cold foods, and tenderness when chewing. ADA MouthHealthy notes that gingivitis is usually painless. A dentist confirms it by checking for bleeding, redness and swelling, loose teeth and gum recession, and may take X-rays if gum disease is suspected.

What does gum disease look like?

The NHS says gum disease makes your gums red, swollen and sore, and they may bleed, with signs including bleeding when you brush, floss or eat hard foods such as apples, bad breath, a bad taste, shrinking gums, loose or falling-out teeth and dental abscesses. ADA MouthHealthy describes periodontitis as gums that bleed and swell, with persistent bad breath or taste, loose teeth, a changed bite, and teeth that appear longer as gums and bone recede, with painful abscesses possible.

What does periodontitis look like compared with gingivitis?

Cleveland Clinic says periodontitis involves bone loss around the teeth, which is permanent and damages the structures that anchor teeth, while gingivitis is reversible. In the mirror, periodontitis may show receding gums, longer-looking teeth, gaps opening between teeth and pus at the gumline. You cannot reliably tell the stages apart by sight, so a dentist measures pocket depth and checks X-rays.

How to tell if gingivitis is healing

Cleveland Clinic says a good cleaning usually clears gingivitis up, though it can return without ongoing care, and gives no specific healing timeline. The signs to look for as it improves are gums that look paler pink and firmer, bleeding when you brush or floss becoming less frequent, and less swelling and bad breath. Cleveland Clinic's flossing article says that if you floss daily, bleeding should stop within a few weeks. If bleeding persists beyond that, see a dentist.

What treatment involves

Cleveland Clinic lists a professional cleaning, possibly scaling and root planing, improved brushing and flossing at home, and sometimes antimicrobial mouthwash or repair of ill-fitting dental work. The NHS says early stages may involve advice on cleaning, stopping smoking and hygienist cleaning, with deep cleaning, antibiotics or surgery for serious cases. NIDCR says tartar can only be removed by a professional cleaning.

When to see a dentist

The NHS says to see a dentist if gums bleed when you brush or eat hard foods, if they are painful and swollen, or if you have bad breath, and to ask for an urgent appointment for very sore and swollen gums, loose or falling-out teeth, ulcers or red patches, or a lump in the mouth. Cleveland Clinic recommends routine checkups at least once a year.

Questions to ask your dentist

Bring up any bleeding at your next visit.

• Do I have gingivitis or periodontitis?
• How deep are my gum pockets, and have they changed?
• Do I need a deep cleaning, or will a routine one do?
• Which cleaning tools suit my teeth?
• When should you recheck my gums?

Frequently asked questions