Gum Treatment
A common condition that affects the tissues around the teeth is gum disease. If left untreated, it can cause gum recession and tooth loss as well as swelling, gum redness, and occasionally pain.
The three main types of gum disease are gingivitis, periodontitis, and acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis (ANUG). Gum and surrounding tissue irritation is known as gingivitis. Gingivitis can develop into periodontitis, a kind of gum disease that damages the ligaments and bones supporting your teeth, if it is left untreated. A serious kind of gum disease that suddenly manifests is known as ANUG. Gum disease is sometimes not unpleasant, so you might not even be aware that you have it.
- Plaque, a soft, gooey substance created by bacteria, is what causes gingivitis. Your gums may become sore if you don’t regularly brush and floss to eliminate plaque from your teeth. Although they are usually not unpleasant, your gums may bleed when you brush your teeth.
Eliminating plaque and taking proper care of your teeth and gums can certainly help your gingivitis. However, if the plaque is not sufficiently eliminated, periodontitis, a more serious form of gum disease, might develop. Symptoms of gingivitis are bleeding after flossing or cleaning your teeth, particularly after consuming something hard like an apple. You could also notice occasionally having bad breath (halitosis) or having red or swollen gums.
- If you don’t take care of your gingivitis, the ligaments and bones that hold your teeth in place can also become inflamed. Periodontitis is a kind of gum disease that affects the teeth. Pockets might form if your gums start to detach from your teeth. Plaque that a toothbrush might not be able to remove is caught in these pockets.
Over time, the plaque turns into tartar. This can make your gums worse by accumulating more plaque. The issue can then worsen as the pockets get deeper and trickier to empty. Gum infections do happen occasionally. An abscess may develop as a consequence of pus accumulating behind your gums.
- A serious kind of gum disease that suddenly manifests is known as ANUG. Inflammation, ulcers, bad breath (halitosis), and other symptoms are brought on by the bacterial infection. ANUG should be treated by a dentist as soon as practical. The following are ANUG signs:
- Really nasty, readily bleed-through ulcers
- Issues with speaking or swallowing
- You have a lot of saliva in your mouth, which may also be accompanied by a fever and other symptoms of illness.
When teeth are not properly cleaned, plaque builds up around them, causing gum disease. Cleaning your teeth could be more challenging if you have braces, implants, or dentures.
In addition, smoking, diabetes, being pregnant and using medications that produce dry mouth are risk factors for gum disease.