Do you have tender or swollen gums? Or if your gums bleed while you are brushing, it may be a sign to visit the dentist in Bellevue as soon as possible as you might be suffering from gum disease. Following is everything you need to know about gum disease.
The Dental Care Cycle And How It Affects The Mouth
Importance Of Dental Care
As most of us learned from a young age, “prevention is better than cure” and cleaning your teeth prevents tooth decay. Brushing your teeth is the best way to maintain healthy teeth and gums. A healthy mouth is important to ensure you have the best overall health. Dedicating a small amount of time to taking care of your teeth can have significant benefits.
If you don’t maintain proper dental care, it can lead to several issues like gum disease, bad breath, tooth loss, diabetes, oral cancer, & much more. This is because bacteria thrive on the food particles and sugars that build up when you don’t brush your teeth. The acid that forms in your teeth will damage the enamel that protects your teeth. This can lead to tooth decay or gum disease and can have a detrimental effect on your oral health.
Gingivitis & Periodontitis
When plaque builds up on your teeth and the gum line, it can lead to gingivitis, which makes your gums red and inflamed. If you have bleeding gums while you brush, floss, or eat, it is a sign that you have gum disease. With the best dental treatment and proper oral routine, the early stage of gum disease, i.e., gingivitis can be reversed. However, if the inflammation spreads to the supportive structures and tissues, it will lead to periodontitis, which is an advanced form of gum disease. This can result in bone loss, and tooth loss, and cause irreversible damage to your gums.
Therefore, it is essential to maintain proper oral health as plaque reforms and builds up quickly, which will cause gum disease. Even if you skip brushing for a day, plaque can harden under your gum line and form into tartar. The longer plaque will remain on your teeth, the more damage it can do. Once tartar develops, you will not be able to remove it with brushing and flossing alone, you will require gum disease therapy in Bellevue, WA.
Causes Of Gum Disease
- If you have poor oral health habits.
- If you smoke or chew tobacco.
- If you are undergoing hormonal changes.
- If you are obese or have inadequate nutrition, including vitamin C deficiency, it can affect the health of your gums.
Symptoms Of Gum Disease
Most people don’t get treatment for their gum disease as the symptoms are unidentifiable until the disease progresses. Although the symptoms of Periodontal disease are subtle, the condition is not completely without any signs. The following are a few symptoms that may be a sign of gum disease.
- If your gums bleed during and after brushing your teeth
- If you have red, tender, swollen gums, healthy gums should be pink and firm.
- If you are suffering from constant bad breath or bad taste.
- If your gums start receding.
- If there are deep pockets between teeth and gums
- If you have loose or shifting teeth
- If there’s a change in your bit of the way your teeth fit together, i.e., malocclusion.
- If your partial dentures no longer fit
Prevent Gum Disease From Happening
Good oral hygiene is essential to prevent various dental issues like infections, cavities, gum disease, or tooth loss. To ensure you have healthy teeth and gums, it is essential to get a thorough oral examination by dentists Bellevue or dental hygienist at least once a year. You can get a professional dental cleaning, which will remove all the plaque or tartar to avoid gum disease.
- Brush twice a day.
- Floss once daily.
- Use an antibacterial mouthwash.
- Make sure to visit your dentist once every six months for a checkup and cleaning.
- Make sure to consume a well-balanced diet.
- Quit smoking.
- Make sure to avoid foods that can cause gum irritation, for instance, Soda, Sports Drinks, Coffee, Tea, Alcohol, Acidic Juices and Fruits, sour candy, Starchy Foods, and Ice Cream.
How To Get Rid Of Gum Disease?
If you want to get rid of gum disease, the most effective way is to visit the dentist, who will help you prevent or manage your gum disease. At the early stage of gum disease, you can treat it by changing your brushing technique and improving your flossing routine. Even though the advanced stage of gum disease is irreversible, you can manage it with the help of a qualified dentists Bellevue, WA.
There are also non-surgical therapies used to treat gum disease. For instance, scaling removes hardened plaque from below the gum line, root planing will reduce the rough areas on teeth roots, and Antibiotic Therapy will battle infection. You can always visit a dental office near you for more information.