Gum disease, also known as Periodontal disease, is a common infection of the gum and jaw bone. It affects 3 in 4 people at some stage of their life and is the major cause of tooth loss in adults over 40. Inflammation of the gums is known as Gingivitis, which left untreated can lead to Periodontal disease.
Gum disease is silent – it can often progress painlessly in the early stages. However if untreated and the infection spreads, this can lead to irreversible damage to your jaw bone and loss of teeth.
Gum disease can occur to your whole mouth or just to one or two teeth, although eventually all teeth will be affected to some degree if it is not treated.
