Gum Disease

Gum Disease

Gingivitis is the first stage of gum disease. Periodontal infections can only be ideally treated in their initial stages. The direct cause of gum infections is plaque. If plaque is not removed from the teeth on a daily basis using a toothbrush and floss, the bacteria in the plaque will release their toxins that can cause infections and then gum disease.

The gums are made up of two parts:

• A strong bone that connects the teeth to the jaw
• A soft flesh cover that covers and protects the bone.

Gum infections first affect the soft flesh gums.

• 1

  Symptoms of gum infections include:

  Red gums Swelling of the gums Bleeding gums when brushing teeth If you have any of these symptoms, you should quickly visit your dentist to avoid exacerbation of the problem and treat it in its initial stages before gingivitis turns into gum disease.

  After long periods of gingivitis, bacteria begin to break up the bone that links the teeth, which is called 'gum disease'. One of the most important symptoms of gum disease is the receding of the gums (erosion of the bone surrounding the teeth) causing long teeth.

• 2

  What is the difference between gingivitis and gum disease:

  Periodontal infections begin 10-20 days after teeth are not brushed and infect the gums and make them redder and more prone to bleeding when brushed or even when touched. In the early stages of gum infections, bacteria in the plaque layer accumulate on the teeth.

  Gum infections affect the flesh cover and do not affect the bone surrounding the teeth. For this reason, gum infections are a completely treatable condition and the gums can be restored as they were before the inflammation, by following oral and dental hygiene guidelines and by checking with your dentist to remove plaque. If the treatment of gum infections is neglected in its initial stages, the problem will worsen, destroying the bone surrounding the teeth and causing so-called gum disease.

  
  

  When you have gum disease, you will notice that the gums have moved away from the teeth, creating pockets or spaces between the gums and teeth, causing long teeth. Food residues accumulate in these small spaces between the teeth and gums, leading to inflammation. Your immune system fights the bacteria that cause gum infections. But the depth of the pockets that are neglected increases. Gradually, the immune system will be unable to control deep pockets and thus deepen until it reaches the bottom of the roots of the teeth, leading to its movement and therefore the need to take them off.

• 3

  What are the causes of tissue diseases around the teeth?

  Plaque is the leading cause of these diseases. However, some other factors contribute to the infection, including:

  
  

  • Failure to adhere to oral and dental hygiene guidelines: such as daily cleaning of teeth with a proper brush and toothpaste or flossing.
  • Hormonal changes: such as those that accompany pregnant women during pregnancy, puberty, menopause, and menstrual cycle where the gums become more sensitive and therefore more likely to develop gum disease.
  • Certain conditions: cancer or AIDS, which weaken the immune system of the human body. In addition to diabetes it negatively affects the body's ability to absorb blood sugar. People with this disease are therefore at high risk of developing various infections, including infections and gum disease.
  • Certain types of medications: Some types of medications affect oral and dental health. It reduces the secretion of saliva inside the mouth which plays an important role in protecting teeth and gums. These include blood pressure, allergy and depression medications. Certain medications can also contribute to gum disease directly, such as epilepsy and some heart medications.
  • Practice some unhealthy habits: smoking, which weakens the ability of gum cells to repair damage. Or breathing from the mouth because it contributes to dry saliva which plays an important role in protecting teeth and gums.
  • Genetic factors: Gum disease may be a genetic disease inherited from a person's family if a family member develops it.
• 4

  What are the symptoms of gum disease:

  Gum disease develops or spreads without any pain until it's in a late stage, but there are some clear indications. Indicators of gum disease include:

  
  

  • Bleeding gums during or after brushing teeth
  • Redness, swelling or weakness of the gums
  • The smell or taste of the mouth is constantly and permanently fouled
  • Receding gums causing long teeth
  • Pockets (spaces) between gums and teeth
  • Movement or teeth stability

  
  

  Even if you haven't noticed any of the above symptoms, this doesn't prevent you from developing a certain gum disease.

  
  

  In some cases, specific teeth are exposed to gum disease, such as mills. Only your dentist or gum pathologist can tell you about diseases in your gums or teeth.

• 5

  How a dentist can diagnose gum disease?

  While your dentist is testing for gum disease around your teeth, he examines three parts of your mouth:

  
  

  • Your Gum: To check for bleeding, swelling, stiffness, and pockets (which are located between the teeth and gums, the deeper these sinuses are, the greater the risk of gum disease)
  • Your teeth: to check for their proneness, sensitivity and consistency
  • Jaw bones: To check for any broken bones around your teeth.
• 6

  How to treat gum disease surrounding the teeth?

  Treatment methods for this type of gum disease aim to:

  
  

  • Accelerate the rehabilitation of the gums after receding by removing plaque and cleaning the teeth and gums.
  • Reduce gum swelling
  • Reduce the depth of the sinuses formed between the teeth and the gums
  • Reduce the risk of gum infections
  • Stop the disease from developing for the worse
• 7

  The treatment method used depends on:

  • The extent of the severity of the gum injury
  • Your response to treatment in the early stages of injury
  • Overall health of your body There are many treatments between surgical and non-surgical methods.

  
  

  If you want to get a full description of the many different treatments, you can see your dentist.