Gum disease is most often recognized by people when the symptoms have become serious. Extreme pain, receding gum lines, and regular bleeding typically concern people enough to make them think twice about their oral hygiene and even head to the dentist's office. However, the signs of gum disease often start long before then, and you might be overlooking some of the early warning signs. Here are three things that can happen to your gums that may be an early sign of disease that you haven't picked up on.

Popcorn Getting Stuck Under Your Gums

Plenty of people enjoy popcorn, but this snack can be a literal pain for some people. Getting popcorn stuck between your teeth is a common-enough problem and one that doesn't spark cause for alarm. However, if the kernels are actually getting stuck under your gums, that's an entirely different matter.

The slick surface of a popcorn kernel, when combined with how thin they are, makes them a perfect candidate to slide under your gums. But here's the thing: if your gums are healthy, this should never happen.

Only gums that have already pulled back from the surface of the tooth somewhat can experience this. So if a kernel gets under your gum line - even if you retrieve it - you should talk to a dentist, as you may already have gum disease developing.

Tight Gums

The sensation that your gums feel tight, stretched, or even sore is often overlooked. After all, teeth can randomly experience discomfort for no apparent reason that passes, so you might think that gums do too. However, if you've noticed these symptoms, you shouldn't expect them to improve on their own.

This feeling usually develops because gums have become inflamed or infected. When this happens, inflammation causes the tissues to swell up and become puffy. While it might not be enough to be visibly obvious or to even cause you pain, the stretched feeling is happening because your gums are literally being slightly stretched as they swell.

Bleeding That Stops

Noticing that your gums are bleeding can be quite alarming, but it's far too easy for people to think that the trouble has passed if that bleeding stops. It might surprise you to learn that if the bleeding from your gums stops suddenly, that's often a bad sign.

The reason behind this is that bleeding gums typically indicate that you already have gum disease. For most people - especially once bleeding starts, as it often indicates a more severe form of gum disease - this isn't a symptom that should go away all on its own. When it does, it often means that an excess of plaque is at fault.

Sticky plaque does a remarkably good job of acting like a bandaid when it builds up. It can fill in the spaces around your teeth and even fill up the space between the edge of your gum and the top of the tooth. When this happens, it can effectively plug up your gums, preventing them from bleeding.

If you notice that you're having any of these symptoms, it's ideal to get help from a dentist as soon as possible. Ignoring these symptoms can allow your gums to get even worse, resulting in permanent damage to the gum tissue or causing further dental loss. Visit a dentist at a clinic such as Brandywine Dental Care and get the help you need before things get worse.