Inflamed gums is a common problem that can affect you at any time during life. It is the mild form of the dental problem affecting at least 90%of the population worldwide. The symptoms are often mild that you may never pay attention to it. But, the inflammation of the gums can escalate into a more serious condition. Fortunately, you can reverse the condition with proper care. With prompt attention, you may not suffer any particular damage. Therefore, you need to pay attention to the signs closely. It avoids any damage and other complications.
What Are Inflamed Gums?
The inflamed gums refer to the inflammation in the gingiva. Gingiva or the soft tissue surrounding the teeth can get affected due to the infection or plaque. The condition also referred to as gingivitis needs treatment. Without proper treatment, the non-destructive type or periodontal disease can escalate into periodontitis. The accumulation of the film of plaque or bacteria triggers the gum disease. So, you need to take care of the condition as soon as possible. Without proper care, it can become a serious condition leading to loss of teeth. You can also suffer from red and puffy gums. It makes it difficult to eat or drink. Apart from the eating problem, you can also experience gum bleeding while brushing the teeth.
It starts as a mild case of gingivitis. So, in most cases, people affected by it may never realize they have the problem. Mild symptoms can reduce the seriousness of the problem. But, remember the issue can progress into a serious complication. So, taking the problem seriously can avoid complications. At the start of the issue, you can overcome the inflamed gums with just good oral hygiene. Therefore, with frequent brushing as well as flossing, you can alleviate the issue. Using good antiseptic mouthwash reduces the risk of periodontitis.
Types Of Inflamed Gums
You can classify the inflamed gums based on the root cause of the problem. So, the two main types of the problem are:
Dental Plaque Induced Inflamed Gums
It is triggered by the following:
- Systemic Factors
- Malnutrition
- Medications
Non-plaque induced gingival lesions
It is caused by the foreign organisms in your mouth like:
- Virus
- Fungus
- Bacterium
The problem can also occur due to an allergic reaction or genetic factors. It also occurs due to the reaction to foreign bodies. So, using dentures can lead to the problem. Wounds in the oral cavity can trigger the problem.
Causes Of Inflamed Gums
The accumulation of bacterial plaque in your mouth, especially between the teeth, can trigger inflammation of gums. The immune system can respond to the issue that leads to the destruction of the gum tissue. So, you can suffer from inflamed gums, which can escalate to serious problems. The main causes triggering the dental issue are:
Dental Plaque
In normal cases, dental plaque can protect the mouth from the accumulation of harmful microorganism. It is the biofilm accumulating naturally on the surface of the teeth. The bacteria colonizing on the tooth surface forms the biofilm. But, excess dental plaque can lead to tooth decay. Without proper treatment, it leads to periodontal complications. So, you can suffer from issues like gum infection, inflamed gums or even periodontitis.
The non-removal of the plaque can lead to tartar. It is the hardened, calculus at the base of the teeth. So, the yellow color deposit near the gums can affect dental health. You need to seek professional help to remove the tartar. The tartar and plaque can trigger irritation, inflammation, and bleeding of the gums.
Hormone Changes
The hormonal changes in your body can trigger the dental problem. It occurs in women during conditions like puberty, pregnancy or even menopause.
Tobacco Use
It is one of the bad habits that not only affects your oral health but also our overall health. Smoking and chewing tobacco can damage the soft tissue in the mouth. The weakening of the immune system can further complicate the problem.
Injury
Aggressive brushing or flossing can adversely affect gum health. The misaligned teeth or use of braces can lead to injury. So, the unhealed injury can trigger problems like inflamed gums.
Poor Diet
The bad diet lacks the essential nutrients to strengthen the teeth. So, your gums, teeth as well as the immune system suffers the brunt of the malnutrition. So, it leads to poor dental health.
Stress
Excess stress can weaken the immune system. So, it can affect your dental health indirectly. The stress can promote unhealthy eating habits, aggressive brushing or smoking. All the factors can result in poor dental health.
Medication
Some medicines can interfere with the functioning of salivary glands. So, it can slow down the healing of damaged oral tissue.
Underlying Health Conditions
Certain health disorder attacks the immune system. It can affect dental health. So, individuals suffering from diabetes, cancers, chemotherapy, diabetes, autoimmune diseases or HIV can affect dental health.
Bruxism
Some people grind their teeth during sleep. The disorder known as bruxism can wear down the tooth enamel. So, the disorder can lead to gum recession and loosen root of the tooth. Eventually can lose the tooth.
Genetic Factors
People with a family history of gum disease are more prone to the problem. When you have a family member suffering from gum disease, you can expect inflamed gums at some point in your life.
Symptoms Of Inflamed Gums
The mild form of the inflammation of the gums may not have any signs. So, you do not suffer from discomfort or noticeable symptoms. But, as the problem progresses, you can see certain issues like:
Gums Discoloration
The healthy gums have a pale pink color. You can also feel firmness to it. But, the inflamed gums have a purple or bright red color.
Tender Gums
At times, after hard brushing the gums become sore. But, the presence of sore gums without any reason points towards gingivitis. The gums become painful to touch. It is caused due to the inflammation of gums by the bacteria.
Bleeding Gums
Plaque formation can lead to bacterial accumulation. The bacteria can attack your healthy tissue that surrounds your teeth. So, the gums become irritated and inflamed. Therefore, it leads to bleeding gums. The problem becomes particularly worse while brushing or flossing.
Halitosis
It refers to the chronic bad breath. You cannot overcome the bad breath even with brushing, using mouthwash or using mints. It is the strong smell that lingers for a long time. Unlike the morning breath, the smell can remain for an extended period of time.
Swollen Gums
The gums are a significant part of your oral health. It has firm, pink tissue with full of blood vessels. The thick and fibrous tissue covers the jawbone. The swelling due to infection can lead to the protruding or bulging of the gums. It usually starts at the point where your gum meets the tooth. So, it hides the part of the teeth. Swollen gums appear red in color.
Receding Gums
The gum infection can destroy the tissue and the bone structure supporting the teeth. The receding gums are a serious health concern. It is due to the fact that the roots of the teeth can become exposed. So, it increases the chances of getting infection, decay, and loss of teeth.
Soft gums
The tender to touch, soft gums indicate a problem. Healthy gums are firm to touch. The spongy feel of the gums means you have inflamed gums.
Complications Due To Inflamed Gums
You may think that you can ignore the signs of gingivitis. But, remember not getting treatment can lead to complications. It can escalate as it spreads to other regions. So, the problem can affect the tissue, teeth, and bones. Following the instruction provided by the dental health professional can reduce the issue like:
Abscess
Avoiding gum inflammation can lead to infection and subsequently dental abscess. The bacterial infection can lead to a buildup of pus. It mostly forms inside the teeth, gums or jaw bone. In most cases, the abscess can accumulate in the soft pulp of your tooth.
Periodontitis
It is the serious gum infection that occurs due to ignoring the gingivitis. The problem can damage the bone structure supporting the teeth. It can also cause issues to the soft tissues. The serious complication can loosen the teeth. The poor oral hygiene can also lead to loss of teeth. But, you can prevent the condition with proper dental care. Studies have linked gum inflammation to stroke or heart attacks. It also has an association with lung disease risk.
Recurrent Gingivitis
The inflamed gums cause redness, irritation, and swelling of the gingiva. So, you can experience discomfort in the part of the gum around the lower side of the teeth. Without good dental care, you can expect the problem to strike again and again. Therefore, you have to suffer the agony and discomfort associated with the problem frequently.
Trench Mouth
Trench mouth is also known as acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis can lead to a painful infection. So, you suffer from gum infection, pain, foul-breath, illness, and fever. The bacterial infection can lead to ulceration. It is the non-contagious infection that occurs suddenly. Therefore, the common condition can cause inter-dental papillae ulceration. You can suffer from painful and bleeding gums due to the ulceration of gum between your adjacent teeth.
Diagnosis Of Inflamed Gums
When you see the above-mentioned signs, you need to consult your dentist. The dental professional can make the right diagnosis regarding the issue by using diagnostic methods like:
Dental History
Your dentist can review your dental and general medical history. It can provide information on the condition that contributes to the symptoms.
Physical Examination
The dentist can examine your teeth, mouth, gums, and tongue for determining the signs for inflammation as well as a plaque.
Pocket Depth
A dental probe inserted beside the tooth can measure the pocket depth of the groove. It mostly measures the groove between the teeth and gums. Generally, the measuring of pocket depth at different sites in your mouth can detect the problem. For a healthy mouth, the ideal pocket depth measures between one to three millimeters (mm). When the dentist measure pocket depth more than 4mm, it indicates inflamed gums.
Dental X-rays
The visual images can help the dentist detect the issues closely. It also provides information about bone loss. The x-ray images can visualize the deeper pockets.
Other Tests
If your dentist cannot determine the exact cause of the inflamed gums, then you need to take other tests. Your doctor can suggest other tests to detect the underlying condition resulting in the gingivitis. Therefore, your dentist can offer guidelines to overcome the problem.
Advanced gum diseases require special attention. So, you need to see a specialist to detect the issue. A periodontist can offer a solution to advanced dental issues.
Treatment To Cure Inflamed Gums
Like any health problem, immediate treatment can reverse symptoms promptly. It can prevent the progression of the disease into a serious condition. So, quick dental care can also avoid tooth loss. Apart from the treatment, a daily routine of good oral care can prevent any gum disease. Therefore, adopt a good lifestyle to avoid getting affected by the issue. The professional treatment includes:
Professional Dental Cleaning
Your dentist can perform a dental cleaning to remove all traces of tartar, plaque, and bacteria. The procedure referred to as scaling and root planing. The non-invasive procedure can remove the bacteria and tartar from the tooth surfaces. It also cleans the surface beneath the gums. The procedure can remove bacteria accumulated due to inflammation. It also smoothens the root surface to prevent the buildup of tartar in the future. So, it aids proper healing. The dentists use appropriate instruments, laser or an ultrasonic device.
Dental Restoration
Your dentist opts the procedure if needed. It can restore the misaligned teeth, bridges, fitting crowns or other restoration. The dental problems can irritate the gums. So, it becomes harder to remove the plaque with your normal dental care. Your dentist can recommend fixing the problem as required depending on your problem.
Home Program
After the professional cleaning, your dentist can come up with a good oral hygiene program. The effective home program can help you keep up the good oral hygiene easily at home. So, maintain the dentist appointments for regular checkup and cleaning. With consistent home oral care, your dental health returns to normal. Therefore, you can see the healthy gum tissue, pink in color within days or weeks.
Home Remedies To Overcome Inflamed Gums
You can take some steps at your home to overcome the inflamed gums with ease. It helps you prevent the problem from affecting you or reverse it.
Brushing
To ensure good dental health, brush two times a day. It even better if you brush your teeth after having a meal or even a snack. It prevents the accumulation of the food particles in your teeth. Food accumulation leads to bacterial growth. So, brushing it can flush out the bacteria.
Soft Toothbrush
Use a toothbrush with a soft bristle. It will limit the negative impact of the bristles on your teeth and enamel. The hard or medium bristles can lead to enamel erosion. Therefore, choose soft bristles to thoroughly cleanse the gums without irritation. Remember to replace within three or four months. The softness of the bristles can fade with regular brushing.
Electric Toothbrush
Source : Amazon.comThe electric toothbrush can effective, rapid, and automatic bristle motion. The electric toothbrush can perform the alternative clockwise or counterclockwise rotation. The motion is referred to as rotation-oscillation. The brush head can also perform back-and-forth oscillation. So, it can effectively remove plaque formation and bacterial accumulation. It helps to get clean teeth by removing the tartar and plaque.
Daily Flossing
Proper flossing every day can remove food particles and plaque effectively. It reaches places where the toothbrush fails to reach. So, flossing can reach between the teeth and under the gum line. So, you can avoid the plaque-build up that leads to gum disease and inflammation.
Mouth Wash
Source : Amazon.comBrushing and rinsing may not remove all the bacteria from the mouth. Therefore, using the mouth rinse can reduce the plaque between the teeth. It is due to the fact that the mouth rinse can reach all areas in the mouth. It even reaches areas not easily accessed by the toothbrush. Therefore, using it can minimize the bacteria triggering the inflamed gums.
Interdental Cleaner
It refers to the tools to supplement the brushing and flossing. So, it can clean the gums and space between the teeth better. The effective tooth brushing technique may not result in the complete removal of bacterial accumulation and plaque deposits. So, tools like wood sticks, dental pick, interdental brush, etc. can clean effectively. The specially designed tools often recommended by the dental hygienists and dentists aids in plaque control and prevent inflamed gums.
Professional Care
Get an appointment with the dentist for professional cleaning. The schedule recommended by a dentist can help remove the plaque and tartar.
Avoid Tobacco Products
Using tobacco products can affect dental health. So, smoking or chewing tobacco can lead to bad breath, stained teeth, gum disease, and even cancer. Quitting the bad habit can reduce your chances of getting gum problems.
Conclusion
Investing in good dental care can prevent inflamed gums. Though the problem cannot cause fatal complication, it can result in distress or discomfort. Good oral hygiene can result in beautiful pearly white that can provide you with confidence and garner appreciation. Therefore, it is important to take care of the mouth and teeth. The early you start the good oral hygiene, the better results you can see. Good oral hygiene can prevent several problems like cavities, inflamed gums or even tooth loss.
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