Gingivitis refers to a common gum disease’s mild form. It is also called periodontal disease that can cause swelling, irritation, and redness of the gingiva. It is the part of gum present around your teeth base. Do not ignore the condition of gingivitis.
We recommend you take it seriously to get its proper treatment. Gingivitis can cause severe gum disease that is known as periodontitis. You can also call it tooth loss. Poor oral hygiene is the common cause of gingivitis.
Good oral health habits like brushing your teeth regularly, getting regular dental checkups, and flossing daily can help you prevent the loss of teeth. You can also reverse this condition.
Symptoms
The color of healthy gums is pale pink, and these gums fit tightly to your teeth. Symptoms of gingivitis are given below.
- Tender gums
- Bad breath
- Receding gums
- Dusky red gums
- Puffy gums
- Bleeding from the gums on brushing your teeth
When To Visit Dentist
If you notice the symptoms of gingivitis, try to schedule an appointment as soon as possible with your densities. The soon you visit the clinic, the better treatment you get. In this way, you get better chances to reverse the harmful conditions of your teeth.
Causes
A common cause that can lead to the development of the condition of gingivitis is poor oral hygiene. It supports the formation of plaque on your teeth and causes inflammation of the gum tissues. Following are the reasons why plaques can cause gingivitis.
Formation Of Plaque On Your Teeth
Plaque refers to a sticky and invisible film that is composed of certain bacterias. Bacterias formation occurs on your teeth when sugars and starches present in the food interact with bacteria. These bacteria are present in the area of your mouth.
You daily need to remove these plaques. If you ignore the formation and cleaning of plaques, their reformation can occur quickly.
Alteration Of Plaques Into Tartar
Plaques that stay on the teeth can become hard and turn into calculus or tartar. It starts collecting bacteria. Tartar makes it difficult for plaques to remove and then creates a shield for bacteria. This is a protective shield that can lead to irritation along the gumline.
Gingivitis
The longer tartar remains on your teeth, the more you will get the gingiva and irritation. It can also cause inflammation. With time, the gum starts bleeding and becomes swell.
Risk Factors
The condition of gingivitis is common. Anyone can experience the symptoms of gingivitis. Following are the risk factors that can make you prone to develop the condition of gingivitis.
- Dry mouth
- Poor oral care habits
- Older age
- Chewing tobacco
- Poor nutrition and deficiency of vitamin C
- Conditions that reduce immunity like leukemia, cancer treatment, or HIV/AIDS
- Dental restorations or crooked teeth
- Certain drugs like seizures, phenytoin, and some other calcium channel blockers
- Genetics
- Medical conditions
- Changes in hormones
Complications
Untreated gingivitis can cause gum disease that can quickly spread to certain underlying bones and tissues. It is a serious condition that causes the loss of teeth. It is reported that chronic gingival inflammation is associated with systemic diseases.
These diseases include diabetes, stroke, respiratory disease, coronary artery disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. Some research suggested that periodontitis causes bacteria to enter your bloodstream using the gum tissue and affect the area of your lungs and heart possibly.
Prevention
Good Oral Hygiene
It means you have to brush your teeth regularly for two minutes or once a day. It would be best if you brushed your teeth in the morning and again before going to bed. It’s better to brush your teeth after every meal if you have the issue of cavities.
Regular Visit To Dentist
See your dentist even if your teeth are fine. You should go for dental cleaning regularly after every six to 12 months. We recommend professional cleaning if you have certain risk factors that can increase the chances of periodontitis, like smoking, dry mouth, and certain medications.
Good Health Practices
If you want to avoid medications, you need to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It is important to manage the level of sugar in your blood.
You need to maintain gum health if you have a problem with sugar. Moreover, patients with sugar should regularly visit dentists for dental examinations after three months.
