What is gum disease?
This is a common disease that causes the gums to swell, sore, and can get infected. It mainly occurs in grownups and cannot be avoided in individuals who don’t have a proper regimen and don’t go for dental checkups. If you have gum disease, you may experience bad mouth odor regardless of proper oral hygiene and the gums may start bleeding.
This can be caused by poor oral hygiene. If you keep the teeth clean, you may not need regular professional dental cleaning. Food particles and plaque can accumulate between the teeth and gums and cause bacterial infections and gum problems.
Improper dental care habits are the main cause of gum disease. But other factors may increase the likelihood of developing gum problems. Some of the habits include:
Smoking
Smoking can lead to gum problems and tooth decay. It also prevents the gum tissues from healing and leaves them prone to bacterial decay.
Crooked or bent teeth
If you have crooked or bent teeth, they can trap food particles after meals. This will increase the chances of developing gum diseases. In such a situation, you need to visit the dentist for professional cleaning or straighten the teeth shape. This will help to prevent the accumulation of buildup.
Unhealthy diet
If you follow an unhealthy diet, plaque will develop and accumulate easily. For example, high-sugar low-water diet.
Gum diseases can be prevented through regular and professional cleaning. You can also develop proper dental hygiene to prevent gum diseases.
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Gum disease treatments
Professional deep cleaning that involves root planing and scaling can help to treat gum disease. Scaling helps to remove tartar and plaque from the gums and teeth. This makes the next procedure simple.
Root planning may not be necessary depending on the extent of the gum disease. The procedure is important if the dentist finds pockets with spaces between the teeth and gums, indicating gum recession. The gum recession may be caused by bacterial decay. In such cases, the dentist will smoothen the roots of the teeth and reattach the teeth to the gums and remove gum pockets with spaces.
The dentist should be able to use the latest technology and equipment for effective and deep cleaning and planning to make the procedure comfortable. Latest technology will ensure that the treatment is successful.
Is the treatment painful?
Most people avoid gum disease treatment because they don’t want to feel any pain. But the treatment of gum disease is painless when done by a qualified dentist.
The dentists may apply a numbing gel on the gums that are to be treated to make the process painless. They should offer after treatment advice on how to take care of the teeth and gums. If you feel any pain after the procedure, the dentist should prescribe a painkiller so help reduce the pain that you may experience.
Gum disease stages
Gum disease can progress quickly in two phases: gingivitis and periodontitis disease.
Gingivitis disease is the initial phase of the gum problem. The gum tissue starts to get inflamed at this phase; this can be due to poor dental care routine. You can identify the stage by gums that are swollen and red; they may start to bleed when you brush.
Periodontitis disease is the last stage. The phase is dangerous because the infection spreads and can affect the underlying bone. If it is not treated, the disease can cause bone loss, leading to tooth loss. It is important to visit your dentist for periodontitis treatment.
When to seek medical attention
If you notice any issue with your gums and teeth, consult a dentist immediately. Because you cannot tell what is the cause and what will happen if you don’t seek medication. Therefore, it is important to act immediately. Even a small delay can lead to serious issues, like an irreversible loss. Broken teeth cannot grow again. Visit the dentist to do a physical examination. After contacting the dentist, you can get advice to visit him immediately or set an appointment.
Causes of gum disease
Poor oral hygiene is the main cause of gum problems. However, dental care does not mean flossing and brushing the teeth. Regardless of how often you clean the teeth, you can’t eliminate all food particles between the teeth. The food particles will later develop to plaque; this will attract bacteria. The plaque will harden to form tartar; this is hard to get rid of by cleaning the teeth at home. You can only get rid of tartar through professional dental cleaning. Therefore, poor dental care routine such as dental checkups is the main cause of dental gum disease.
Symptoms of gum disease
Gum disease starts with gum line inflammation. Red or swollen gums are the first signs of gum problems. The gums get sensitive and can bleed easily.
The presence of tartar and plaque can cause bacteria decay. The bacteria will eat the plaque and release toxins that will cause bad odor. The odor can be persistent, regardless of how you brush the teeth.
If the gum disease develops, the tooth infection can advance to the bones under the gums. This will make the gums to come off the teeth and start receding.
When the gums start to recede, the tender part of the teeth known as dentin will be exposed. This will make the teeth sensitive to cold or hot things.
After treatment care
After treating gum disease, the dentist should carry out aftercare procedures. He should examine the mouth again to remove all traces of plaque and tartar.
After the treatment, follow the given advice and have proper oral hygiene to prevent the onset of the disease again. Clean the teeth after every meal and ensure that you remove most food particles. You can also use a fluoride solution to eliminate bacterial decay. Ensure that you go for all dental checkups and visit the dentist often. This will help to prevent gum disease and keep the teeth and gums strong and healthy.