Dentist Questions Gum Disease

What are the early signs for gum disease?

I have small white spots on my gums. Could this be a sign of gum disease?

23 Answers

The early sign of gum disease is gum bleeding up on brushing and flossing. White spots usually not the sign of gum disease, but it will be wise to get checked with you dentist to differentiate the diagnosis of the white spot on your gum. Gingivitis or gum disease usually cause the gum to be red and swollen due to the inflammation. Healthy gum should appear firm and pink.
Bleeding on your gums, itchy gums are early signs of gum disease. White spots on your gums are something that should one consider serious and need to properly diagnosed by your dentist. Please have a consult with your dentist to make sure about your gum health.
I would want to exam this situation in order to give you an honest suggestion. The basic signs of early periodontal disease is bleeding gums. You MAY also see plaques on the teeth and red, swollen gums. If not addressed, it can lead to loosening of the teeth and tooth loss. Consult a dentist.
Gum disease is unlikely, but I would suggest to see your dentist for different issues.
Bleeding gums for sure.
Redness, swelling and bleeding from gums
Bleeding and sometimes gums are the main sign. Bad breath is also often associated with this.
White spots are not related to gum disease. Redness and swollen tissues are typical signs of gum disease.
White spots no. A lot of bleeding when brushing is a major sign of gum disease.
Probably not necessarily gingivitis or periodontitis, the most common types of gum disease.They simply may be small tissue nodules that are considered normal; a comprehensive dental exam would be a good idea to have them checked out!
No. I would have a dentist take a look anyways. Gum disease would have inflamed and bleeding gums with major tartar build up
To say for sure one would have to view the spots. White spots can be typical of bacterial infections and tissue sloughing due to allergic reactions. What you would want to look for for early signs of gum disease would be bleeding when brushing or flossing.
The small white spots sounds likely to be regular canker sores (brought on by stress/virus). Early signs of gum disease would include red swollen gums that bleed easily (while brushing/flossing).
Most likely a fistula(from an abcess) or viral

Very hard to diagnose without picture and x-ray..need consult once basic data available
The white spots could be a variety of lesions. It is best to have this looked at by your dentist to determine what the problem is. A photo would not be diagnostic alone, but must accompany an oral exam.
Gum disease can be quite tricky. Usually there are no early signs that can be recognized at home. Dentists can perform simple measurements of bone levels and actually these measurements should be done routinely for all adult patients. Symptoms can include bleeding gums and bad breath, but often patients lose supporting bone without any noticeable symptoms.
White spots are not part of early signs. Early signs are redness, swelling and bleeding. My advice is for you to see your dentist ASAP.
Does not sound like gum disease but is something that should definitely be checked by a dentist.
These could be pathologic in nature and monilial which is a yeast infection that occurs from metabolic imbalance in our endocrine system as a safety measure the body produces. Scraping the affected area and microscopic examination would yield the proper medication or oral rinse to recommend. You also could have an allergy to some medication that you may be applying topically which has an oral manifestation that you're noticing in the form of the white spots.
Hello!

Gum disease is characterized by swollen, red, and puffy gums. The gums may bleed when brushing and often from flossing infrequently. The cause is usually from a build-up of plaque on the teeth that hardens over time and attracts bacteria that attacks the gums. The best way to get rid of it is to have your teeth professionally cleaned and then brushing and flossing at least twice a day after the cleaning. The white spots may be a sign of gum disease if they are accompanied by the red swollen gums. The white spots may be normal if they are on pink healthy gum tissue. It is impossible to know for sure without an examination from your dentist. Bottom line, if your gums hurt and bleed whenever you decide to floss, you probably have gingivitis. The first and only reversible stage of gum disease. Get your teeth cleaned as soon as possible if it has been over 6 months.
Hi there,

Signs of early gum disease include:

-Bleeding on brushing
-Foul smell from the mouth
-Swelling of the gums
-Gums tender on touching with finger
-Sensitivity of the gums to hot and cold
-Redness of the gums
-Visible deposits of tartar and calculus around the teeth
-Bleeding on flossing
-Discoloration of the gums

As you said you see white spots on the gum, you should see a dentist to make the right diagnosis.
I hope this helps!!

Thanks,

Dr. Jatinder Sharma, DDS
The early signs of gum disease include bleeding while brushing and or flossing. If you smoke cigarettes sometimes the bleeding will not occur.
Hi,

The earliest sign of gum disease is usually bleeding from your gums. Having white spots on the gums could be a viral/bacterial infection. Recommendation will be to visit a dentist to rule out any infections.