What is gum disease?

The threat of gum disease is just another reason to brush your teeth properly with fluoride toothpaste. Many people suffer from gum disease, often not even knowing that they have the condition. It can have serious consequences for your oral health if it is not dealt with properly but thankfully it is avoided fairly easily by following simple advice from your dentist.

The most basic form of gum disease is known as gingivitis. It is caused by plaque building up on the gum line of teeth and leads to the gums becoming inflamed. Instead of the healthy pink colour that they ought to be, your gums will become rather reddened. As well as that, you will find that you will experience greater sensitivity to eating and drinking hot and cold substances.

Gingivitis is easily treated, usually just by tightening up your home oral hygiene routine. Sometimes flossing does the trick, to ensure that you are removing plaque from between the teeth too. Using toothpaste plays a part too of course as it helps to remove plaque. Sometime antibiotics are prescribed and special mouth wash can be used in some cases to help the inflammation clear up.

It is vital that gingivitis is dealt with before it can get worse and become periodontitis, a particularly nasty condition. In periodontitis, the inflammation spreads to the bones which hold your teeth in place. Your gums will begin to recede away from your teeth and will be very swollen and red. You might find that you have unpleasant tastes in your mouth too. At this point, tooth loss becomes a serious possibility as the bones become incapable of adequately holding the teeth in place.

Avoid gum disease by taking the best possible care of your mouth. The first step is to make sure that you are brushing your teeth in the proper fashion to remove as much plaque as possible. Brush at least twice a day using toothpaste which contains fluoride so that your teeth are strengthened against plaque. Be sure to floss as well, because your brush cannot reach all the parts of your mouth, such as in between your teeth. Go and see your dentist every six months too so that your mouth can be checked by a professional. You might not notice the early signs of gum disease but your dentist will and then it can be diagnosed and treated.