Gum Disease is the most common disease to affect humans
The early stages tend to be painless, but if it’s left untreated it can have long lasting effects and could result in pain or worse, having your teeth extracted.
Managing Gum Disease by visiting the Dentist regularly and home maintenance on your teeth can be beneficial as it can help minimise the effects, and helps potentially save your teeth.
Signs and symptoms to be aware of?
- It’s important to know the signs and symptoms as it’s only painful during the late stages.
- Red and/or bleeding gums
- Swelling and sore gums
- Spitting blood after brushing
- Halitosis (Bad breath)
- Metallic taste in your mouth
- Receding gums (Shrinking gums showing longer teeth)
- Black triangles between teeth
- Loose teeth or loss of teeth
- Gum abscesses
If you have experienced any of these symptoms, then it’s imperative you speak to your Dentist at your convenience.
What causes Gum Disease?
Gum disease is often caused by plaque on your teeth. Plaque is a substance that builds up on your teeth which contains millions of bacteria. Some of the bacteria in plaque is completely harmless, but some can be harmful for the health of your gums. When plaque isn’t removed from your teeth, it can often be very irritable for your gums. This irritation causes them to become inflamed.
Relations to other medical conditions
Scientific literature and research shows a strong relationship between gum disease and diabetes and various other medical conditions. However, we can monitor ‘markers’ through the chemicals we produce in our bodies. Those who are at risk of strokes or heart attacks often raise markers. Due to the symbiotic nature of our bodies, it’s important for you, or anybody you know who suffers from diabetes, has had a stroke or has heart disease to have an assessment of their gum health, it may just save your life!
Preventing and treating Gum Disease
Mild cases can be treated by maintaining a good level of oral hygiene, which includes brushing your teeth at least twice a day, cleaning between your teeth and using mouthwash which helps remove food debris and the plaque trapped between your teeth. In addition, more severe cases of Gum Disease which resulted in loss of teeth can be helped by replacing missing teeth and spreading the biting forces with, for example, Dental Implants. Dental implants are the most natural way to replace missing teeth, with many advantages.
If you are concerned about Gum Disease then contact us here at Mark Tangri Dental on 0333 1234 999 to arrange an appointment.
