Oral health is very important and if left untreated can lead to bigger and serious issues.
One of the diseases with serious consequences that we have to watch out for is periodontal disease or gum disease. It is a bacterial infection which if not treated on time can lead to loss of tooth, among other things. This disease can affect one or many teeth at the same time.
The bacteria in our mouth with mucus and other substances regularly forms plaque, which sticky colorless substance, around our teeth. That’s why we brush to clean our mouth of these substances. If we don’t do that regularly, the plaque can harden and will be difficult to take off by just brushing. The longer we don’t clean our teeth off that hardened plaque or ‘tarter’, they become more harmful. The bacteria cause our gum to inflame, the inflammation is called ‘gingivitis’. Gingivitis causes the gums to turn red, swollen and can bleed. At this condition, the symptoms are reversible, but you need to take action quickly.
If you don’t treat gingivitis on time, it can lead to periodontitis. In this stage, your gums loosen, causing gaps between the teeth – those gaps can be infected.
Identifying gum diseases on time is extremely important. You should regularly watch out for the symptoms which include long lasting bad breath, swollen gums, bleeding gums, or toothaches. If you observe these signs in you, you should see your dentist as soon as you possibly can.
There are precautions you can take to avoid gum diseases. Brushing your teeth is top priority, but flossing will also control the amount of plaque that forms. Making these daily tasks, routine will cause you to have good oral hygiene. Another regular habit you should develop is to visit your dentist in regular intervals, they will thoroughly clean your teeth, which will also ensure you catch any forming disease.
Gum disease is not discriminatory. It forms when you do not take care of your oral health, as you should.
Some other conditions that might invite gum diseases are pregnancy, diabetes and other health conditions. It is a common knowledge too that smokers are likely to get gum diseases.
Consult your doctor if you are experiencing symptoms.
