Although teeth seem to receive far more attention, it is vital that you look after your gums with just as much care and attention. In fact gum disease causes more tooth loss than tooth decay itself. And if gum disease is allowed to progress then it can turn into something far worse.
If you have gingivitis – the most common and basic form of gum disease – your gums will be rather swollen and red. You might experience extra sensitivity when eating or drinking hot or cold substances and may even be prone to bleeding. Gingivitis is not that serious in itself, more inconvenient than anything, but it is vital to nip it in the bud so it does not progress into periodontal disease.
Periodontitis is always preceded by gingivitis and it is a serious condition. It involves the inflammation of the bones which hold the teeth in place. Chronic pain will ensue as your gums swell and bleed, more severely than with gingivitis. The gums can then recede, making it appear as if your teeth are lengthening. Tooth loss is the eventual outcome as the inflamed bone and receded gums become unsuitable for holding your teeth in place.
Periodontitis is usually the result of a period of poor oral hygiene. If enough plaque builds up on the gum line of teeth and gingivitis is not reversed then periodontitis can occur. Plaque will harden into tartar which can only be removed by dental professionals.
Periodontal disease is just another reason to visit your Weston-Super-Mare dentist regularly. They can monitor your mouth and ensure that if you have a touch of gingivitis then it is dealt with before it can get any worse.
Gum disease is something that can affect anyone at any age. In its most common form it is nothing serious but it should be dealt with so that it doesn’t progress into something much worse. Having a good relationship with your dentist is vital in guarding against gum disease so that your mouth is regularly examined and monitored.
Gingivitis is the most basic form of gum disease and many people in Britain have and do suffer from it. As a result of a build of plaque on the gum line of teeth, the gums redden somewhat and become more sensitive and prone to bleed. Bad breath might occur, as well as the presence of odd tastes in the mouth.
If it is allowed to progress then periodontitis might take hold. In this case, the jaw bone holding the teeth becomes inflamed and tooth loss is the likely end result. Many of the symptoms of periodontitis such as receding gums are effectively irreversible, so it is best to deal with any gum issues you have before it gets to this stage.
Often combatting gingivitis is simply a case of tightening up your home oral hygiene routine. By brushing thoroughly at least twice a day for about three minutes you should remove most of the plaque from the gum line. Flossing plays a crucial part in this too as plaque can form between the teeth against the gums and is often missed by brushing alone. Your dentist might suggest that you use a special mouth wash designed to look after gums or that you try a herbal solution like chewing cloves. Your dentist might offer you a professional clean if tartar is beginning to take hold.
Talk to your Bristol dentist at your next appointment to find out how to avoid gum disease.
You should take just as much care looking after your gums as you do with your teeth. Gum disease is actually a great cause of tooth loss than tooth decay itself and having diseased gums can be painful and inconvenient. Nobody wants to have to go through the indignity of tooth loss or invasive surgery so read on to find out about how you can successfully beat gum disease.
The most common form of gum disease – gingivitis – results from an excess of plaque on the gum line of teeth. The gums become inflamed and visibly reddened, sometimes they will bleed and be rather sensitive too. You might experience bad breath and odd tastes in the mouth. If gingivitis is not dealt with then it can lead onto periodontitis, where the inflammation has spread to the bones holding teeth in place.
If you report symptoms to your Bath dentist and he or she diagnoses gingivitis, it is likely that you will simply be advised to tighten up your daily dental hygiene routine. This means taking better care brushing to remove more plaque and also being sure to floss to get to the plaque that can easily build up between the teeth and against the gum.
Your dentist might recommend that you use a special mouth wash, formulated to take extra care of inflamed gums. Sometimes, if your dentist fears that tartar (hardened plaque) is being to form against the gums then you might be given a professional clean as tartar cannot be removed by tooth brushes.
If you are worried about gum disease and want to avoid it progressing into something worse, talk to your Bath dentist today.
One of the dangers to the mouth in Chepstow is gum disease and at some point, most of us will suffer from it unless we know how to maintain our gums. Gum disease starts with poor oral hygiene. Bacteria can build up in the mouth and plaque will start to form, attacking both the teeth and gums. The gums will start to bleed and if allowed to continue, will recede, leaving the teeth to become loose and eventually fall out. Dental repair work can be costly too, but with a little more attention to detail everyday, we can avoid any problems and retain healthy gums. Brushing and flossing twice a day, or after meals are a good place to start, but so are regular visits and consultations with your dentist. The dentist will remove any build up of plaque and tartar around the teeth. It’s also the time to ask about brushes, mouthwashes and toothpastes and find out what’s best for you. Ask about gum flossing, massaging and teeth exercises. These are excellent ways to keep the blood busy in the gums. Finally, find out about diet, what to eat and what to avoid. We all know that smoking and excessive drinking are bad for the mouth, but we can combat our bad habits by ensuring a good diet and a good program of oral hygiene.
Gum disease is a very serious problem that many people are either unaware of or underestimate. Not only can gum disease affect the health of your mouth and teeth, leading to pain and lost teeth but it also has links to wider health conditions such as heart disease and even fatal heart attacks.Gum disease starts when a layer of plaque is allowed to build up on the gums. This bacteria-rich, filmy substance coats the gums and begins to release acid which irritates the tissue. If this is allowed to continue the gum tissue will become inflamed. This early stage of gum disease is known as gingivitis and is characterised by red and sore tissue and minor swelling. At this stage in the disease it can be easily treated and reversed with improved oral hygiene and a visit to your Bath dentists However, if the gingivitis is allowed to get worse the condition becomes the more serious periodontitis which is much harder to treat and has much more serious consequences. It is estimated that three-quarters of all the adults in the UK will have gum disease at some stage which gives you an indication of how widespread the problem is. The health of your teeth and gums should never be underestimated. Having healthy gums will make your life so much easier and the best thing is, it’s really not that hard to achieve. Follow the advice of your dentist and brush your teeth twice a day with an appropriate brush. Also, it is crucial for your gums that you are flossing as this removes plaque from the small secluded areas around the base of the teeth where so many cases of gum disease start. A regular check up with your dentist every six months will also help to limit the chance of gum disease.
Brushing is not enough to keep your teeth in pristine condition says a Swindon dentist. To keep your teeth in pristine condition and disease free requires more than a quick brushing in the morning. Flossing is really important as it helps to prepare your teeth for brushing, brushing alone won`t shift the food particles trapped in between the teeth, and it is this that is your mouths worst enemy. Flossing dislodges it before the brush gets to work, then if you brush properly, using the correct brush, your mouth will be bare of food stuff, and that means the bacteria in your mouth won`t be able to produce much acid. That acid eats away at the enamel on your teeth, and once it’s gone it won`t grow back, it also makes your gums tender and subject to cuts when you eat food, those cuts allow the bacteria to enter the blood system and new research shows that it can cause heart disease. Receding gums are painful and once they are gone they can never grow back either, we are all carrying out a continuous battle against gum and tooth disease. However, help is at hand in the form of the dental super hero known as `The Dental Hygiene Nurse`, they are attached to every surgery and are there specifically to hand out advice on oral hygiene. You won`t learn oral hygiene at school, so your dentist provides this service as part of their preventative program, leaflets usually accompany the advice.
Gum or periodontal disease is the bane of us all; it causes not just discomfort and pain, but also an embarrassing smile. The good news is that it can stopped in its tracks and slowed down; although a cure is not possible once the damage has been done. A Weston-Super-Mare dentist is advising his patients that a better oral hygiene regime may well be the answer. The disease starts when bad bacteria gets into cuts and abrasions on the gums, this is caused by acid build up which is a by-product of the bacteria feeding off the food residue that gets trapped in gaps between the teeth. Saliva is produced to neutralise the acid, but that can often be insufficient when our saliva glands stop working. This is something that happens when we are asleep or have a build up of sugar in the blood, this is what diabetics suffer from and one of the signs is a dry mouth. You don’t have to be diabetic to get the symptoms of a dry mouth, it is caused by many other factors, however they all have the same consequences and that’s saliva deficiency. Once gum disease takes control the gums will swell up and soften, this allows vigorous brushing to leave cuts and infection will set in. Abscesses and tooth ache will follow and then the exposed gum line will allow tartar build up on the exposed root of the tooth, this will weaken the tooth and it will eventually break off. A good regime of oral hygiene care will not cure the problem, but it will go a long way to preventing further damage. Our teeth are our biggest asset and it is important that we do all we can to make them last, a simple change in oral care is all that it often needs.
Gum disease isn’t curable in its advance stage; this is called Gingivitis and is the periodontal disease that eats away at the gum line. It is caused by bacteria infecting the gums by entering them through cuts and sores on the bottom of the ridges. Bacteria is a resident of our mouths and we need it to get rid of the food residue that lingers in between the teeth. However, like all good things it has its drawbacks and acid production is one of them, this eats away at the tooth enamel and the gums and sets them up for infection. Once an infection takes a hold a lot of damage can be done in quite a short period of time, obvious ones are an abscess or a boil which can both be very painful. A dentist cannot work on a tooth that is infected by either one of these, first they will need to prescribe a course of antibiotics to clear up the complaint. Then they can look at the root cause of the problem, this is usually due to bacteria seeping into the gums and can lead to further problem. The worse case scenario as mentioned is Gingivitis which is an advanced case of periodontal disease; and is irreversible. Once the gum line disappears then tartar builds up on the exposed root of the tooth and wears it away, this always leads to the loss of the tooth prematurely unless it is kept at bay. One of the best ways is to make sure you floss in between the teeth at every opportunity, and especially after a snack or meal. Plaque is dead bacteria and tartar is an accumulation of that plaque, your dentist will clean tartar away when they do your half yearly check up, but you must also do your bit to keep this build down to a minimum.
The worse problem with a periodontal disease such as Gingivitis is that it is often left too long before we start to seek treatment. Whenever gum disease treatment is left for another day the condition can only go one way, and that causes the condition to worsen over time. This will always end in tears, and in the worse case scenarios it will also end up with a much more serious condition. However, advanced gum disease treatment is easily avoidable if the problem is seen to by a dentist, and before it spreads to the area above the gum line. A dentist will generally scrape away the tartar that is a build up of bacteria which likes to congregate around the teeth’s roots, and in between them. There is no cure for gum disease as once it sets in it will cause irreparable damage. It is never too late to start a good regime of oral hygiene care though, even when the damage has been done and the gum line is eaten away. The good news is that although it isn’t curable gum disease can successfully be kept in touch, and healthy teeth can be brought back to a state of top condition. It is highly recommended that once the first signs of gum disease are noticed an appointment is made with your dentist, it is so important to catch any gum disease before too much of the gum line is lost; infections in the gum can leak into the blood stream and cause other problems with platelet production. This has been researched heavily, and the results indicate a link between heart disease and gum disease. So we can now see that getting gum disease treated early on in the process will prevent a lot more problems than just our oral care ones.
Dr Gerrard is a Bristol based Cosmetic dentist with many years of experience and is one of only a small number of dentists accredited by The British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry
