Gum disease is a major cause of tooth loss and pain. It is a serious condition that can lead to tooth loss, other health problems and even death. It’s also a preventable disease that you can treat easily at home. It’s caused by bacteria in your mouth that can invade the tissues around your teeth, causing them to become infected. While it’s rare for gingivitis to progress to full-blown periodontitis (or severe gum disease), it’s important to know what signs you should be watching for and how you can keep yourself from getting sick.
‘think about it this way:
What is gum disease?
Gum disease is an infection of the gums. It’s caused by plaque, which forms when bacteria on your teeth slowly build up over time. The buildup can lead to bad breath, gum inflammation and tooth loss if left untreated.
Plaque is made up of dietary debris and saliva that accumulates in the sulci (fissures) between your teeth where they meet each other. Plaque contains bacteria that can cause gum disease if left unchecked; this causes inflammation in the gums and eventually leads to periodontal pockets — pockets that form around your teeth as they wear away over time due to lack of brushing and flossing habits
Causes of gum disease
Gum disease is caused by poor oral hygiene, such as not brushing your teeth for long enough or using the wrong toothpaste. You can also get gum disease if you have diabetes, a condition in which your blood sugar levels are too high.
Bacteria that live inside your mouth may damage the protective layer of tissue around each tooth (enamel). When this happens, it’s easier for bacteria to enter and cause inflammation around the tooth surface – called gingivitis. This can lead to more serious conditions: gum disease (also called periodontitis), when pockets form beneath your gums that block blood flow; or even bone loss around affected teeth.[1]
Symptoms of gum disease
Gum disease is a serious problem that can affect your overall health. The symptoms of gum disease are red or swollen gums, bleeding gums, bad breath and loose teeth. Tooth loss may also result from this condition.
How to prevent gum disease
- Daily flossing is a great way to keep your gums healthy and prevent gum disease.
- Use a soft-bristled toothbrush that you can comfortably use in the morning, evening and at bedtime. Be sure to brush for two minutes at least twice daily—including when you’re getting ready in the morning or after lunch (to remove food particles). This will help remove plaque so it doesn’t build up on your teeth and lead to an infection in your gums or mouth.
- Flouride toothpaste reduces tooth decay by killing bacteria that cause cavities; however, not all types of fluoride are created equal! When choosing between different types of fluoride for daily brushing use, consider whether they contain carbamide sodium (the most common type), sodium monofluorophosphate (SMP), strontium fluorophosphate or sodium fluoride—these ingredients make an impact on how well it works with other medications taken by mouth such as antibiotics because they may alter their effectiveness against bacteria found in plaque formation around teeth where many people get infected each year due largely due lack adequate dental care practices over long periods leading up till now!
How to treat gum disease
Gum dosease is a serious condition that can lead to tooth loss, other health problems and even death. It’s also a preventable disease that you can treat easily at home. Otherwise a dentist can clean and treat the gums and teeth with dental instruments, remove plaque buildup on tooth surfaces, and advise you about how to prevent future problems.
If you have a lot of tartar or calculus (calcium deposits) on your teeth, your dentist may recommend using mouthwashes or rinses that contain chemicals that dissolve these materials away from the surface of your teeth. This treatment is called scaling or scaling and polishing; it’s useful if there are large amounts of tartar build-up but not quite so necessary if only small amounts exist in areas where they might otherwise cause discomfort later on down the road
Gum disease is very common and can be prevented with proper oral hygiene.
Gum disease is very common, and can be prevented with proper oral hygiene. Oral hygiene includes brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing once a day and regular dental visits. Gum disease is caused by bacteria in the mouth that invade between the gum line where they start to grow outwards causing inflammation of gums and pockets of inflamed tissue under your gums which results in bleeding when you brush or floss. These pockets form because plaque builds up on your teeth over time leaving less room for healthy bacteria to inhabit so they have nowhere else to go but into an infected area (the pocket) which causes redness around it’s edges leading up towards your tongue making it appear swollen when you look at yourself in the mirror after brushing or flushing food particles out through suctioning abilities like those found on most newer models today!
Gum disease is a serious problem that can affect the whole body. It’s hard to tell when you have it, but there are ways to prevent it and even reverse it in some cases!
