When it comes to gum disease, getting an early warning sign can compel you to schedule a visit to your dentist as soon as possible. While there are lots of visual warning signs that you could be on the brink of gum disease, such as bleeding gums, the smell from your mouth can often let you know whether you're contending with this serious issue, too. Bad breath is often an indicator that you're in the early stages of gum disease, but if you're determined to assess your gums, here are some scent-related practices that you can adopt.

Use Your Finger

Wash your hands thoroughly, and then take your finger and rub it firmly against your top and bottom gums. Smell your fingertip immediately and take note of the odor. If your gums are healthy, you shouldn't really smell anything, but an odor is likely to be present if you're in the early stages of gum disease. It's difficult to describe the smell, which is highly unpleasant. Your finger may smell somewhat similar to seriously bad breath, or it may even smell like something that has rotted.

Check Your Dental Floss

Flossing regularly is an effective way to reduce your risk of gum disease, so it's probable that if you're in the early stages of this issue, flossing isn't a part of your daily self-care routine. However, if you decide that you want to assess the health of your gums, try flossing. Do so lightly, because aggressive flossing if you haven't done so regularly can lead to profuse bleeding. After you've removed the floss from between your teeth, give it a smell. The same offensive odor as described above may be present, even above the mint smell of the floss.

Assess Your Saliva

Yet another technique that you can perform to check whether your mouth may be showing the early warning signs of gum disease is to smell your spit. Get a bit of spit in your mouth and move it around by moving your tongue and jaws. Then, spit into a tissue and smell the saliva. It's possible that you'll notice the unpleasant odors that you could detect using the above methods. The idea of smelling your mouth for clues that suggest gum disease isn't a pleasant one, but it's better than being in the dark about this condition — especially if you don't routinely go to the dentist. Once you suspect that gum disease may be an issue, it's advantageous to see a dentist promptly.

Contact a clinic, like Brookside Dental Associate, for more help.