Wanted to get some thoughts from the group here...

I'm 25 and have largely neglected tooth care for the past 10 years or
so. Dentist at adolesence was a sadist and it turned me off for a long
time. Had a cleaning done in 2000 and needed two fillings and a
crown...never got it done. Recent years, I've been chronically ill and
have neglected dental care.

Flash forward to '04. Had a check-up in February and was told I had
gingivitis and still needed the work previously mentioned. Also needed
a cleaning.

Long story short, didn't get the cleaning done until today, and now
I'm worried I waited too long...hygenist was non-committal as to if my
gingivitis had progressed to bone loss and kept giving conflicting
answers. "I don't really see any/much...have to talk to doctor...don't
need deep scaling...should return to normal..."

My gums do not bleed, but are red and a bit inflamed. Past two weeks
I've also noticed some dryness, iron taste, and bad breath, which
prompted me to finally make a cleaning appointment. Tech used a
Cavitron and it was painless. I feel the foul odor is gone now, at the
least.

I'm waiting to obtain insurance before going in for the fillings and a
root canal.

Just curious...what would be indicative of periodontal disease? I'd
like to start from scratch and devote a lot more attention to my teeth
after this scare, but it would be a bummer to have waited so long I'm
in the claws of something irreversible.

Tech prescribed ACT, and I'll use it, but I find it odd that I'm using
something with red dye and flavor after brushing. Isn't that
counter-productive?

Thanks for any help.