For obvious reasons, healthy gums are a key to healthy teeth.  Many people think that gum disease is an adult issue, but recent studies have shown that chronic gingivitis is a widespread problem among children.  There are basically three types of gum disease that many children have been found to have.

 

Types of Gum Disease

·         Gingivitis is the first step in gum disease. It is usually characterized by redness, swelling and bleeding in the gums.  This mild type of gum disease is very easy to avoid because it only requires regular brushing and flossing. If it isn’t prevented or caught early it can turn into more serious types of gum disease.

 

·         Aggressive Periodontitis is a disease that usually is found to start around the first molars and incisors.  Oddly enough, patients of this type of gum disease don’t form a whole lot of plaque. It is serious, however, as it can lead to bone loss.

 

·         Generalized Periodontitis can spread to the whole mouth, causes the gums to become very inflamed.  It is common with this type of gum disease to see a lot of plaque and calculus build-up.  This disease often begins as a child enters puberty. If not caught on time, this disease can cause your teeth to become loose.

 

Contributing Conditions

In many cases, disorders and diseases that have nothing to do with dental health can make a child (or an adult) more vulnerable to gum disease. Those conditions are listed as follows:

 

·         Papillon-Lefevre syndrome

·         Down syndrome

·         Kindler syndrome

·         Type I diabetes

 

Symptoms of Gum Disease

So how do you know if your child has a form of gum disease? Luckily, the symptoms are fairly easy to recognize if you’re watching for them.

 

·         Recession is the first and least obvious symptom of gum disease can be seen when the gums begin to recede.  This can make teeth look like their getting bigger than they were.  Often, the gums only recede around certain teeth, which case makes the symptom easier to spot.

·         Puffiness can also be a bit difficult to spot if you’re not watching closely.  Look for inflamed, bright-red gums.

·         Bleeding can also be a sign that your child’s gums are unhealthy.  This will usually occur when flossing, but gums will bleed while brushing as well.

·         Bad breath that just won’t go away is another tell-tale sign of gum disease.  If your child’s breath constantly resembles your spouse’s morning breath, no matter how much your child brushes their teeth, you need to consult with your dentist.

 

Gum Disease Can Be Contagious

Couples and families should be aware that when members of your family have gum disease, it can be transferred to you. Sharing a utensil, giving a kiss or anything else that involves contact of saliva can result in sharing the saliva that causes gum disease.  Some scientists even suggest that roughly 30% of people are genetically prone to gum disease.