If
you think brushing your teeth twice a day will keep you off the dentist's chair, think again. The gums that protect your teeth need tender loving care
too. Periodontal tissues, which surround and support the teeth, are vulnerable
to diseases, too. Not following the right rituals of cleaning them can cause
problems ranging from light inflammations to something as scary as loss of
teeth.
Gum disease like gingivitis, which is the inflammation of the gums, and periodontitis, which can happen when gingivitis remain untreated, are the
result of the bacteria that reside in the mouth.
Inching into
gingivitis :
While
bad mouth odor can be indicative that all’s not well in your mouth, the
starting point of any gum disease is with the build-up of plaque on the teeth.
And Plaque? Well, plaque is that sticky,
yellowish layer that forms around your teeth. While some bacteria are needed
for your body’s daily functions, a lot of them are pretty harmful when they are
not flushed out of the body, including those in and around the teeth. Brushing
surely is the first step towards the oral hygiene. But sometimes, the plaque still remains
unchecked either because of insufficient oral hygiene or because of skipping
the advised once-in-six-months dental visits, giving vent to gum diseases like
gingivitis.
That’s
when the gums around the teeth begin to feel itchy, swell up bleed and become
rather painful. It is best to not delay the visit to the dentist.
A periodontal problem
Your
dentist might still be able to help remove the plaque from around the teeth
area. If not treated even then, the plaque starts receding to areas under the
teeth, affecting deeper tissues. The gingivitis has now transformed into a periodontal problem.
A
worsened state of gingivitis is when the mouth odor is worse and the inflamed
gums around the teeth start detaching themselves from the tooth. The
periodontal (which is derived from ‘perio’, meaning around, and ‘dontal’,
meaning teeth) tissues that slip downward, form pockets or spaces between the
tooth and the gum. Thereon, the tooth can even start loosening and then simply
fall out.
Exposed to
the pain
So
who can get gum diseases like gingivitis and periodontitis? If you smoke, are
diabetic and maintain poor oral hygiene,
you have a big chance of inviting periodontal trouble. Sadly, heredity, being
born with crooked teeth or hormonal changes like those in women also play
nuisance and put you at risk of gum
diseases such as gingivitis and
periodontitis.
Prevention
parameters
· Try not to miss your six monthly dental appointments. The plaque deposit that doesn’t go away with brushing
can be spotted and scraped off by the dentist. At least such visits will alert
you to a potential attack of periodontal
gum diseases.
Brush and floss regularly.
It helps reduce, and sometimes eliminate, plaque causing bacteria in your mouth.
It helps reduce, and sometimes eliminate, plaque causing bacteria in your mouth.
Introduce the habit of rinsing soon after you are done with
your brushing and flossing. A powerful mouthwash like Listerine gets into
crevices of your mouth where the toothbrush or floss couldn’t get to, and
washes away germs that build plaque, thereby minimizing the onslaught of gum diseases like gingivitis and
periodontitis.
Related Topics :