All About Gum Disease

Gum disease can happen to everyone in every age. Gum disease can lead to bad breath, pain, and even tooth loss. But nowadays, many people do not care about this problem, or maybe they do not have enough understanding about gum disease. Here are brief reviews about what is gum disease and everything related to it. I hope that this article will help you to understand more about gum disease and how to avoid it.

Gum disease, or also known as periodontal disease, is caused by infection on gum tissue or bone that support the teeth. If the gum disease is not treated for a long time, it can cause serious problem like pain and tooth loss. Plaque, an invisible layer built by germs on the teeth and gums, is the main cause. The bacteria in the plaque can produce toxin and irritate the gums. But don't worry, by brushing or flossing regularly, plaque can be removed.

Everybody have chances to get gum disease if they don't take care of their daily habit. What you eat will affect the rate of plaque in your mouth. Lousy diet, lack of sleep, and stress can cause your body become vulnerable to any infection including gum infection. Girls have greater chances to get gum irritation when their sex hormones increase during puberty. Beside bad breath and yellow stained teeth, smoking can also lead to gum disease.

Gum disease develops in stages. Mild gum disease is known as gingivitis, and severe one is known as periodontitis. Signs of gingivitis are bleeding gums, tenderness, redness, and puffiness of gums. While the signs of periodontitis are severe bleeding gums and tooth loss. If you have the signs below, you have to see your dentist immediately :

1.Regular bleeding when brushing or flossing

2.Gum discoloration (red, swollen, and tender gums)

3.Any sign of tooth loss

4.Bad breath

Gum disease can be tricky, so it's better to check it to your dentist if you feel that you have some signs of it. Some gingivitis needs to be X-ray and examined thoroughly to find where the trouble is. Some treatments that can be done to treat gum diseases are scaling/root planning, antibiotics, surgery, and gingival grafting. All of those treatment can be done after you consult to your dentist. Do not take antibiotics without prescription, it can cause problems.

Fortunately, gum disease can be prevented. Brush your teeth regularly with fluoride-containing toothpaste and soft polished bristle toothbrush, have a healthy diet, avoid smoking, and regular dental care will make sure that you will never get gum disease.