Maintaining good oral health is an important part of enjoying overall health, including having strong and healthy gums. Good gum health is frequently overlooked, but your gums provide vital support for your teeth. Without healthy gums, you are at risk of tooth loss in Newcastle, and poor gum health can impact general health.
Recognizing Healthy Gums
When gums are healthy, they feel firm to touch and fit snugly around your teeth. The gum tissue doesn’t look inflamed, and most importantly, healthy gums don’t bleed. The colour of healthy gum tissue can vary from a pale pink to a darker hue, and gum tissue may have a stippled appearance, a bit like orange skin.
How Can Gums Become Unhealthy?
When gums become unhealthy, they are often infected by the bacteria found in dental plaque. If dental plaque isn’t removed regularly, it quickly builds up, and the gums react to the bacteria by becoming inflamed, causing gum disease. In the early stages, mild gum disease called gingivitis is curable, but it can progress into periodontitis, a far more serious form of the disease. Without treatment, the inflammation can quickly develop into periodontitis, destroying gum tissue and spreading to other structures around your teeth. The structures include the bone and ligaments that help hold your teeth in place.
How Can Unhealthy Gums Affect General Health?
Usually, healthy gums fit around your teeth and prevent bacteria naturally present in your mouth from entering your body. As gums become inflamed, they begin to bleed. Consequently, these harmful bacteria that cause gum inflammation can enter your bloodstream. The bacteria associated with periodontitis in Clarington have been linked to other serious diseases like diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular disease.
Warning Signs of Gum Disease
Gum disease is often ‘silent’ during its early stages, so it is very easy to overlook the initial symptoms that include blood on your toothbrush or when you floss or noticing your gums have become red, swollen and tender to touch. When the disease worsens, the gums start to recede and pull away from your teeth. By this stage, you might start to notice your teeth look longer or that you can even see your tooth roots. You may also have a nasty taste and bad breath.
How to Avoid Gum Disease
While gum disease in Courtice is a serious condition, it is easy to avoid. It is one of the reasons why we recommend regular dental checkups here at West Bowmanville Family Dental. Most people need to see us twice a year, and it is crucial to attend these checkups even if you think your teeth are healthy. Our experienced dentist can gently check your mouth and will soon be able to tell if you have gum disease. If you wait until you experience pain or other symptoms, the disease is far more likely to be well advanced and trickier to treat. While gingivitis is reversible, periodontitis can be chronic. Advanced periodontitis requires ongoing professional dental care to control it.
During your checkup, be sure to schedule a professional dental cleaning with our hygienist. They will remove all the hardened plaque, called tartar, from your teeth, getting rid of the bacteria causing the inflammation, so if there are any signs of gingivitis, your gums can fight the infection more easily. You also need to ensure you brush your teeth at least twice a day without fail and that you floss once a day. Your hygienist can identify any areas of your mouth that may require extra attention while cleaning your teeth and can provide useful information on how to improve your brushing and flossing routine at home. Following this simple routine will help you enjoy healthy gums, keeping them free from infection and disease.