The basics
What gum disease is
Gum disease (periodontal disease) is a bacterial infection of the tissues that hold your teeth in place. It starts when plaque — a sticky film of bacteria — builds up along and under the gumline. Your body responds with inflammation, and over time that inflammation can destroy gum tissue and the bone beneath it. It is a leading cause of tooth loss in adults — and it's largely preventable.
The key distinction
Gingivitis vs. periodontitis
| Gingivitis | Periodontitis | |
|---|---|---|
| What's affected | Gums only | Gums and the bone under them |
| Typical signs | Red, puffy gums that bleed easily | Deep pockets, receding gums, loose teeth |
| Pain | Usually none | Often none until advanced |
| Reversible? | Yes — fully | No — but it can be stopped and managed |
| Typical care | Professional cleaning + home care | Scaling and root planing, then maintenance |
How it progresses
The four stages
Stage 1 — Gingivitis
Gums are red, puffy, and may bleed when you brush or floss. No bone has been lost. This stage is reversible with professional cleaning and good home care.
Stage 2 — Early periodontitis
The infection has moved below the gumline and the bone supporting your teeth has started to lose ground. Pockets form between teeth and gums.
Stage 3 — Moderate periodontitis
Pockets deepen, more bone is lost, and teeth may begin to feel slightly loose. Treatment focuses on stopping further damage.
Stage 4 — Advanced periodontitis
Significant bone loss threatens the survival of teeth. Care at this stage is about saving what can be saved and keeping the mouth healthy and functional.
Our periodontal program
How we treat it
Gum disease treatment at our Fremont office is organized as a dedicated periodontal program — evaluation, deep cleaning (scaling and root planing) done in-house, and ongoing maintenance, with the same dentist at every visit. When advanced disease has already claimed a tooth, we also restore dental implants placed by trusted local surgeons.
Scaling and root planing
A careful deep cleaning below the gumline that removes the bacteria and hardened deposits driving the infection — the standard first treatment for periodontitis.
About deep cleaning →Periodontal maintenance
After treatment, specialized cleanings every three to four months help keep the infection from regaining a foothold — the long game that helps protect your gums for the long term.
About maintenance →Beyond the mouth
The mouth–body connection
Research continues to link chronic gum inflammation with broader health concerns, including cardiovascular health and blood-sugar control in people with diabetes. While science is still mapping the exact relationships, one thing is clear: your mouth is part of your body, and keeping gum infection under control is a meaningful part of caring for your overall health.
Check yourself
Warning signs
- Gums that bleed when you brush or floss
- Red, swollen, or tender gums
- Bad breath that doesn't go away
- Gums pulling away from teeth (teeth looking “longer”)
- Teeth that feel loose or have shifted
- Pain or pressure when chewing
Noticing any of these? A gum evaluation is quick and straightforward — it's part of every comprehensive exam.
Bleeding when you brush is usually the first sign people notice. Our bleeding gums guide explains what it can mean and what to do next.
Staying ahead of it
Preventing gum disease
Prevention is unglamorous and it works: brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, clean between your teeth daily (floss, interdental brushes, or a water flosser), and keep your regular cleanings — plaque that hardens into tartar can only be removed professionally. Early bleeding when you start flossing usually reflects existing inflammation and typically improves with consistency.
Some things raise risk: smoking and tobacco use, diabetes, dry mouth (often a medication side effect), family history, and hormonal changes such as pregnancy. If any of these apply to you, gum measurements at regular visits matter even more — tell us, and we'll watch more closely.
Good to know
Gum disease questions, answered
What is the difference between gingivitis and periodontitis?
Gingivitis is inflammation of the gums only — red, puffy gums that may bleed, with no damage to the bone underneath. Periodontitis is what gingivitis can become: the infection spreads below the gumline and begins destroying the bone that holds your teeth. Gingivitis is reversible; periodontitis can be stopped and managed, but the bone that's lost doesn't grow back on its own.
Can gum disease be reversed?
Honest answer: gingivitis, yes — completely, with a professional cleaning and consistent home care. Periodontitis, no — but it can very often be stopped and managed. Treatment like scaling and root planing removes the infection, and periodontal maintenance visits help keep it from coming back. Many of our patients keep managed periodontitis stable for decades.
What are the stages of gum disease?
Gum disease progresses through four stages: gingivitis (reversible gum inflammation, no bone loss), then early, moderate, and advanced periodontitis, marked by progressively deeper gum pockets and more bone loss. The earlier it's caught, the simpler the care — which is why gum measurements are part of every exam at our office.
How is gum disease treated?
It depends on the stage. Gingivitis usually needs a thorough professional cleaning and better home care. Periodontitis typically starts with scaling and root planing — a deep cleaning below the gumline — followed by periodontal maintenance visits every three to four months to keep the infection from returning.
Is gum disease contagious?
Not in the way a cold is — the bacteria involved in gum disease can pass through saliva by sharing utensils or kissing, but the disease itself doesn't spread person to person. Whether gum disease actually develops depends on the person's own immune response, daily home care, and risk factors. Good daily hygiene is the real protection, whatever bacteria you're exposed to.
Can gum disease affect the rest of your body?
It can — and that connection is one of the stronger reasons to take gum health seriously. Chronic gum inflammation has been associated with cardiovascular disease, with harder-to-control blood sugar in diabetes, and with certain pregnancy complications, though researchers are still separating cause from correlation. The takeaway is steady care, not alarm: treating gum infection is part of looking after the whole body.
Is gum disease hereditary?
Susceptibility to gum disease can run in families — genetics is one of several risk factors, alongside smoking, diabetes, and dry mouth. In most cases, though, daily home care and regular professional cleanings matter more than family history. If a parent or sibling has had gum disease, mention it at your exam so we can watch your gums more closely.
Does gum disease hurt?
Usually not — gum disease is typically painless until it's advanced, which is exactly why so many people don't know they have it. Pain, pressure when chewing, or loose teeth tend to appear only in the later stages. That's why gum measurements at regular exams matter: they catch the disease long before it hurts.
When is it too late to reverse gum disease?
Treatment helps at every stage — but full reversal is only possible before bone loss begins, in the gingivitis stage. Once periodontitis sets in, the goal shifts from reversing the disease to stopping its progress, and that is realistic at any stage. The earlier care starts, the more supporting bone there is left to protect.
Does gum disease cause bad breath?
Yes — persistent bad breath is one of the most common signs of gum disease. The bacteria driving the infection release odor-causing compounds, so mouthwash may mask the smell but won't fix the source. Bad breath that doesn't go away, especially alongside bleeding or tender gums, is worth having checked at an exam.
Welcoming new patients
Worried about your gums?
It starts with a conversation — reach us the way that's easiest for you.