What are signs of gingivitis or periodontal disease?

Signs: Gingivitis is the start of periodontal disease. It has red puffy gums with little or no loss of supporting structures. Periodontal disease has red-blue gums with loss of the supporting structures, spontaneous bleeding of the gums, bad breath from the active decay of tissue. Both can be prevented and treated by your dentist or periodontist so you can keep your teeth/smile for a life time.

Can be many things: Red, swollen or tender gums or other pain in your mouth, bleeding while brushing, flossing, or eating hard food, gums that are receding or pulling away from the teeth, loose or separating teeth, pus between your gums and teeth, sores in your mouth, persistent bad breath, or a change in the way your teeth fit together when you bite. Have a dentist evaluate your periodontal status.

Signs vs symptoms: Signs are what the doctor sees: inflammation, purulance (pus), plaque, bleeding on probing, spaces developing, root exposure, mobility. Symptoms are what you experience, and they can also be signs: bleeding from flossing/brushing, odor, spaces developing, changes to the bite, root exposure, red tissue, soreness and pain.