Gum disease begins as gingivitis, marked by red, puffy gums that bleed when you brush. At this stage it is fully reversible with good cleaning and a professional scaling. Ignored, it becomes periodontitis, which destroys the bone that holds teeth in place.
Because early gum disease rarely hurts, many people notice it only when teeth loosen. Bleeding gums are never normal, so treat them as an early warning and book a cleaning rather than waiting for pain that may only arrive when it is too late.