Gum disease is a disorder of the tissues that connect your teeth to the jawbone. It’s a bacterial disease caused by the accumulation and hardening of plaque on your teeth. If left untreated for extended periods, gum disease causes bleeding, severe pain, chewing complications, and tooth loss.
Below are the various causes, symptoms, and solutions to gum disease infection.
Causes
Below are several factors that increase the risk of periodontal disease.
Poor Oral Hygiene
Gum disease is often a result of poor oral health. Failing to brush and floss your teeth leads to the accumulation of plaque. The bacteria inside the plaque erode your teeth and attack your gums, resulting in infections. These lesions later turn into painful, bleeding wounds.
Smoking
Smoking accelerates plaque build-up, increasing the risk of gum disease. Moreover, smoke disrupts oxygen absorption inside your body. This weakens your immunity and slows down the healing of wounds.
Age
Older people are more susceptible to gum disease because of decreased saliva production. As a result, their mouths dry faster.
Saliva is crucial for washing away the bacteria that cause periodontal disease. Without it, you are more prone to contracting gum infections.
Diabetes Mellitus
Type 2 diabetes affects your blood circulation, resulting in lower blood flow and weakening of gums. This increase vulnerability to gum disease.
Pregnancy
The hormonal changes undergone by pregnant women make them more susceptible to gum infection. Oral contraceptives can also cause gum disease.
Terminal Illnesses
Conditions that lower your body’s immune system, such as HIV/AIDS and cancers, make you more prone to periodontal disease.
Poor Diet
Vitamin C is vital to keeping your gums healthy. Similarly, calcium and fluoride strengthen your teeth and protect against plaque. A diet that lacks these useful elements increases your risk of getting gum disease.
Symptoms
In most cases, gum disease has subtle symptoms. However, this doesn’t mean that you don’t need medical attention.
A few of the early signs of gum disease include:
- Reddening and swelling of gums. Healthy gums are firm and pink.
- Formation of deep gaps between teeth and gums.
- Persistent bad taste and unpleasant breath in the mouth.
- Gum recession and tooth loosening.
If the condition persists, it develops into periodontitis. Here, the small lesions develop into ulcers, the pains become more severe, and you might start losing teeth.
Solutions
Treating gum disease involves the identification and elimination of its causative factors. For most patients, dentists conduct professional cleaning and recommend better oral hygiene habits.
Where diabetes, hormonal changes, weak immunity, and smoking are the causes, the doctor addresses these issues before starting treatment.
The dentist can also prescribe a mouthwash that eliminates bacteria that cause periodontal disease. This is often the case for patients who can’t brush or floss their teeth properly, such as the elderly and physically disabled individuals.
In individuals with periodontitis, the treatment is more complicated due to the severity of the infection. The doctor might have to scale and plane the affected teeth for effective cleaning. Surgery might be required in some cases.
The surgery involves numbing the gums before exposing the teeth and jawbone for cleaning. After restoration, the pockets between the teeth and gums disappear, allowing the patient to brush and floss with ease.
Dentists use soft-tissue grafts to treat gum recession. This reduces sensitivity and protects root surfaces. It also makes it easier to clean your teeth and gums.
The most advanced method of treating gum disease is laser therapy. The dentist uses light beams to kill harmful bacteria, remove the affected tissue and stimulate healing. Interestingly, this procedure is non-invasive and painless.
Wrapping Up
Prevention is the best solution to gum disease. Ensure that you observe oral hygiene and avoid risk factors like smoking, drinking alcohol, and poor diet.