Periodontal disease occurs when the gums or the soft tissues supporting the teeth become inflamed. Gingivitis is the mildest and most common form of the disease characterized by swelling and bleeding of the gums and bad odour of the mouth. This gum condition will lead to periodontitis when unattended and left untreated. In severe cases, the mild form of this disease will progress into periodontitis, when the symptoms of the gum disease become more severe causing receding gums and eventually to tooth loss.
Periodontitis treatment includes regular brushing and flossing which are two of the best oral practices to prevent the onset of any gum problem. Massaging the gums is also a good practice with the use of a soft-bristled toothbrush after brushing for about two minutes. Flossing must be done once daily to remove food particles in hard to reach areas after brushing preferably before retiring to bed at night.
When the oral care practices are accomplished, it is best to continue them to avoid the disease form occurring again. In addition, it is also necessary to visit your dentist at least once a year as part of your regular dental care. Your dentist is the only qualified professional to recommend ways of treating any gum disease.
Dental care is a very important preventive measure to avoid periodontal disease. It is vital that food particles inside the mouth must be removed after eating and the mouth thoroughly cleaned to prevent the acquisition of the disease or to treat the condition once you already acquired it. Aside from practicing oral hygiene, it is also essential to limit the consumption of sweet foods and drinks. Bacteria feed on sugar and plaque is formed when there is plenty of this in the environment. Eat chewy foods instead as this practice produces saliva which will eliminate bacteria that forms plaque. It is also good to stop excessive smoking as this will aggravate the condition.
There are natural home remedies that are effective to use against periodontal disease. Some individuals find the use of tincture of staphysagria applied to the gums three times daily is proven to heal the signs of the gum problem. Folic acid is also used to treat the affected area since this is one of the vitamins that can prevent and even treat this condition. Other vitamins utilized by a lot of people are vitamin A and C. When the intake of food is not enough to provide these needed vitamins, taking vitamin supplements is highly recommended.
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Oral health is important in our everyday life. It affects how we deal with other people. If you are not confident with how your breath smells, you tend to keep a distance when interacting with people to avoid embarrassment. This can truly be a problem to the social aspect of a person.
Swollen gums or gingivitis is a gum disease that can lead to bad breath. It can be considered minor on the early stage but it can progress to greater and serious oral health problems. It is important that you keep your mouth healthy and your breath smelling good to maintain pleasant relationship with everybody around you.
Here are the top three (3) things to do to avoid gum disease:
1. Brush your teeth and your tongue – Brushing your teeth is not enough for the tongue is like a sponge or a carpet that can hold microscopic food particles. The little finger-like structures on the surface of the tongue make a perfect home for bacteria to grow. Control bacteria in your mouth by cleaning your gums, between your teeth, tongue and the roof of your mouth. When brushing, do not brush too hard. Brushing too hard can lead to receding gums. Always keep a light touch when brushing. Use a soft toothbrush and brush for at least 2 minutes.
2. Floss your teeth – Keep the tiny bits of food particles out from between teeth where it can accumulate. This debris is not easily removed by brushing so this is where flossing comes in. As it sits between your teeth, it feeds the bacteria that have gathered there. Bacteria excrete harmful acids as waste. These acids dissolve holes in the teeth that can become cavities and they irritate your gums. Acid irritation can cause swollen gums wherein it turns to red, feels sensitive and bleeds easily during brushing. Swollen gums are indicators of gum infection so it is best to see a dentist and get a thorough cleaning.
3. Use a good mouthwash – Rinse after flossing. Rinsing does not only remove the debris that you extricate when you flossed. It will chemically kill many of the germs in your mouth. Rinsing for at least 30 seconds will allow the mouthwash to reach the spaces between your teeth and wash the bacteria away. A good mouthwash can even kill many of the bacteria that live in your tongue.
If you notice swollen gums, see a reliable dentist right away and ask for an exam. Any good oral care always includes regular visits to the dentist. A dental office can answer your questions, demonstrate techniques, perform biannual professional cleaning and monitor the health of your teeth and gums. This will prevent dental problems, even how minor, go unnoticed and progress to a serious periodontal disease.
Proper oral hygiene prevents oral cavity issues. Brushing at least twice a day help maintain clean teeth. Flossing at least once a day further cleanses nooks in the mouth that cannot be reached by simple brushing. Though no matter how diligent one is in brushing and flossing, there are still bacteria in hard to reach recesses in our mouth so rinsing the mouth with an antibacterial mouth wash will ensure a clean, fresh smelling orifice. Add your regular visit to the dentist and a healthy, balance diet then you’d be way ahead in oral care.
However some are not as meticulous with oral care. They’d leave it to chance that mere brushing is enough and hope that they do not get mouth sores. With this attitude, especially for adults, it won’t be long before one would complain of swollen and/or bleeding gums – signs of gum infection. Most common gum issues are irritated gums, cavities and swelling and gum diseases. The simplest among the mentioned issues is the irritated gums. This is brought about by food particles that get stuck in spaces between teeth and gums. The tad piece invites bacteria to collect and grow if it’s not removed immediately. A simple treatment of irritated gum, aside from brushing and flossing is to gargle with saline rinse.
Cavities are caused by decaying tooth. If left untreated, it can become an abscess where swelling and pus are evident and comes with confined pain in areas of the mouth where tooth has been affected. When abscess has begun, it is highly recommended to go to a gum infection dentist or doctor. They would be the best person to take care of your oral issue and prevent it from doing more damage. However when unable to immediately go to the dentist, ways of reducing the pain is to rinse your mouth with warm water. If swelling is apparent, you can hold warm water in your mouth where it has been affected.
Gum diseases like gingivitis need the attention of gum infection dentist or doctor. Professional treatment is needed to bring back healthy gums. Untreated gum issues could lead to teeth loss and other health complications like cardiovascular disease.
At the first sign of gum infection, it is better to consult your dentist for preventive measures. All oral infections are curable. And if one practices good oral hygiene then it is a better way of avoiding gum issues altogether. Nothing beats proper oral sanitation in thwarting mouth disease that is preventable in the first place.