In the realm of hygiene, gum disease1 threatens the strength of your smile. Therefore, to know that we are affected by gum disease, we need to care about the symptoms of gum disease. While cleaning our mouths, we must notice any bleeding in gargling or a foul smell from the mouth while brushing or flossing.
Being able to identify the signs is crucial for protecting yourself. Your mouth can give clues, from discomfort to variations, in the color of your gums. It’s essential not to overlook gum disease—equip yourself with the information needed to keep your smile and overall health in shape.
1. What is a Gum Disease?
Periodontal disease2, or gum disease, is a lasting condition affecting the tissues surrounding and supporting our teeth. It usually starts with gingivitis, characterized by red gums that may bleed while brushing. If left untreated, it can progress to periodontitis, where the inner layer of the gums and bone separate from the teeth, creating pockets that can become infected.
Ignoring this condition may eventually result in tooth loss. While inadequate oral hygiene plays a role in its development, factors such as smoking, genetic predisposition, and certain medical conditions also contribute to its occurrence. Regular dental checkups and maintaining care are crucial for prevention purposes.
2. Types of Gum Diseases
Gum diseases encompass a spectrum of conditions affecting the tissues surrounding teeth. These conditions represent various levels of risk for oral health, ranging from mild gingivitis to more severe forms such as periodontitis. In the prevention and intervention of gum diseases, we must know what types of gum disease are present.
2.1. Periodontal Disease
Periodontal Disease is a disease that affects the tissue that holds our teeth in the gum. The reason behind periodontal is lousy brushing and flossing habits that allow plaque and other bacteria to develop on the teeth and gum. Inflammation3 can increase up to the bones. That gives support to the gums. This condition can cause pain when chewing food or may weaken the gum. The following are its symptoms:
- The persistent bad breath and bad taste in my mouth.
- Gums may be swollen, red, sore, or bleeding, appearing longer than the teeth.
- Sensitive and loose teeth are also significant symptoms of gum disease. The pain while chewing the food and sensitivity while eating or drinking a cold food or drink.
Improper cleaning of the teeth daily. The dental plaque, which is not removed, can harden on the teeth and form a tartar, leading to gum disease. Tartar can only be cured by a professional. The most significant factor that causes gum disease is smoking and chewing tobacco4.
The main reason for the treatment is to prevent the infection from spreading from other parts of the gums and teeth. The treatment may vary depending on the extent of periodontitis. The best treatment for Periodontal for any patient is to keep daily care at home. The dentist also suggests changing certain addictions, such as smoking and chewing tobacco.
2.2. Gingivitis
Gingivitis is a bacterial infection that is caused by overgrowth of plaque5. Viral and fungal infections may also cause gingivitis6. Gingivitis is the primary cause of tooth loss in adults and teenagers. Gingivitis is an inflammation and soreness of the gums. If the gingivitis is not treated in time, it can become periodontitis. The following are its symptoms:
- Inflammation on the bones that support.
- Gums that bleed when you clean or floss the mouth.
- Gums are pulled.
- A loosened tooth.
- A yellowish liquid between teeth and gums.
- Pain while chewing a portion of food.
- Sensitivity in teeth.
- Bad Breath from the mouth.
- Change in the shape of your teeth.
When food and plaque get trapped in the gap between teeth and gum, if trapped food and gum get rotten, it causes a gum infection or gingivitis. Plaque is a type of microbial bacteria. This bacterium constantly forms on the surface of teeth as plaque increases, hardens, and becomes tartar.
The treatment may vary on the extent of gingivitis. The main reason for the treatment is to prevent the infection from spreading from other parts of the gums and teeth. Good oral hygienic practices can treat gingivitis. Other gingivitis treatments are:
- Deep cleaning of your teeth.
- Antibiotic medications for the disease.
- Surgery.
3. How Do You Know if You Have Gum Disease?
Gum disease may increase without any inflammation, signs, or pain in the gum, even in the last stage of the disease. Usually, periodontal disease has subtle symptoms, but the condition of periodontal disease has some warnings and symptoms. Symptoms are:
- Bleeding from the gum.
- Color of the gum: a healthy gum should be pink and firm.
- Continuous bad breath from the mouth.
- Bad taste in the mouth.
- Receding of the gums.
- Deep pockets in the teeth.
- Loose shifting in the teeth.
Sometimes, without any symptoms, there is gum disease in our teeth. We should always visit the dentist for regular dental checkups.
4. The Causes of Gum Disease
The main reason behind the gum disease is plaque. The factor that causes gum disease are:
- Pregnancy, puberty2, and monthly menstruation cause hormonal changes that make gum more sensitive, which can lead to the development of gum diseases.
- Illness like cancer, HIV, or diabetes affects the condition of your gums3. Diabetes affects the ability to use sugar from the body, which directly causes periodontitis and cavities.
- Medication can also affect oral health because the flow of saliva is disturbed.
- Smoking and chewing tobacco make the gum harder to repair itself, which causes gum diseases.4
- Bad oral hygienic habits can also cause gum diseases.
- Genetic contribution from family can also cause the development of gum diseases.
5. The Prevention of Gum Diseases
Gum diseases like gingivitis can be prevented from getting worse with proper plaque control. Reasonable plaque control means cleaning plaque twice yearly with professional and daily brushing and flossing from self-care.
5.1. Daily Brushing
Brushing teeth twice daily using a soft-bristled brush and fluoride toothpaste can reduce the risk of gum disease.5 Antibacterial rinses also reduce plaque and germs from the mouth and can reduce the risk of gum diseases.
5.2. Flossing Technique
Flossing techniques can also reduce gum disease. Flossing removes the food particles and plaque between the teeth and the gum line. Flossing can reach the place where our toothbrush cannot reach.
5.3. Use Antibacterial Mouth Wash
Rinse your mouth with antibacterial mouthwash. Antibacterial mouthwash can prevent gingivitis, Bad breath, and plaque by reducing bacteria.6
5.4. No Smoking
Stop smoking cigarettes and chewing tobacco because they harden the tissue of our gums and stop the tissue gum from repair, which increases the chances of gum diseases. Stress management can strengthen our immune system, which helps us fight infections or gum diseases.7
5.5. Balanced Diet
Maintaining a balanced diet means accessing the use of sugar in our body, which can also be a factor that increases the possibility of gum disease. Proper food nutrition helps our immune system fight the infection from affecting the gums.
5.6. Dental Checkup
The most potent prevention from gum disease. Regularly clean and floss your teeth from a professional dentist or dentist hygienist. A regular dental checkup or meeting with a dentist can give you healthy, whitening teeth free from gum diseases.8
6. Conclusion
These healthy tips help us keep our mouths clean and disease-free. Following the above methods, you can be free from gum diseases because prevention is better than cure. Here, we have discussed gum disease, its symptoms, its types and stages, and prevention.
The cruciality of maintaining gum health is always underrated until it’s too late. So, if you have any gum problems, visit your dentist today before any further complications. Also, brush two times a day, and that will keep cavities away and additionally protect your gums as well.
- Seymour, R. A. “Is gum disease killing your patient?.” British Dental Journal 206.10 (2009). ↩︎
- Rogol, Alan D., James N. Roemmich, and Pamela A. Clark. “Growth at puberty.” Journal of adolescent health 31.6 (2002): 192-200. ↩︎
- Jin, L. J., Lamster, I. B., Greenspan, J. S., Pitts, N. B., Scully, C., & Warnakulasuriya, S. (2016). Global burden of oral diseases: emerging concepts, management and interplay with systemic health. Oral diseases, 22(7), 609-619. ↩︎
- Reibel, J. (2003). Tobacco and oral diseases. Medical principles and practice, 12(Suppl. 1), 22-32. ↩︎
- Hayasaki, H., Saitoh, I., Nakakura-Ohshima, K., Hanasaki, M., Nogami, Y., Nakajima, T., … & Yamasaki, Y. (2014). Tooth brushing for oral prophylaxis. Japanese Dental Science Review, 50(3), 69-77. ↩︎
- Takenaka, S., Ohsumi, T., & Noiri, Y. (2019). Evidence-based strategy for dental biofilms: Current evidence of mouthwashes on dental biofilm and gingivitis. Japanese Dental Science Review, 55(1), 33-40. ↩︎
- Abdurachman, A., & Herawati, N. (2018). The role of psychological well-being in boosting immune response: an optimal effort for tackling infection. African journal of infectious diseases, 12(1S), 54-61. ↩︎
- Vargas, C. M., & Arevalo, O. (2009). How dental care can preserve and improve oral health. Dental Clinics, 53(3), 399-420. ↩︎
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