Gingivitis treatment

If the gums around your teeth are inflamed, don’t assume it is just a simple problem easily remedied by flossing more often. In reality, you could be faced with the frightening diagnosis of gingivitis, a disease that has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease as well as periodontal disease and premature tooth loss.

What is gingivitis?
Gingivitis is an infection of your gums caused by bacteria that haven’t been removed properly and have been allowed to grow and multiply in your mouth. Because your mouth is warm and consistently moist, it makes for the perfect breeding ground for this bacteria so it doesn’t take very long before your mouth is completely at the mercy of these strange guests.

As the bacteria growth worsens it begins to attack and weaken your immune system. The bacteria finds a way to get into the bones in your mouth as well as your gums and finally, they cause an infection in your mouth. This infection will cause your gums to swell and bleed, will give you bad breath, will change the color of your gums and can cause pain. Eventually, if no gingivitis treatment is sought, the gingivitis can progress into periodontal disease which has no cure. Once you have periodontal disease you can expect to either spend the rest of your life trying to control the damage the disease causes or you can expect to lose your teeth and face a significant deterioration of your gums and bones.

What causes gingivitis?
As we know, before you need gingivitis treatment you have to actually get gingivitis from bacteria. Since bacteria is always present in your mouth—and to some extent should be—this can be very confusing. Bacteria must become out of control in order for it to be dangerous and to lead to gingivitis treatment, and plaque becomes out of control by poor dental hygiene habits. When teeth aren’t flossed or brushed properly, plaque can dig its way deep down to the dark, neglected areas between your teeth. There is will grow and proliferate and begin its assault on your oral health.

The human body can fight the bacterial infection for a certain amount of time, keeping it from progressing into gingivitis. But people with diseases that compromise the immune system, like diabetes or HIV, may find that they advance to the gingivitis stage and require gingivitis treatment much sooner than a person with a perfectly functioning immune system might.

Gingivitis Treatment Options
Luckily for those who have been diagnosed with gingivitis, the gingivitis treatment regimen they must follow is relatively simple. It requires a lot of determination and a willingness to be very dedicated to oral hygiene.

The first step in your gingivitis treatment is to meet with your local dentist. They will do a cleaning on your teeth that will help get rid of most (if not all) of the bacteria filled plaque buildup you have been dealing with. They may need to do a deep cleaning or gum scaling, which is when they push back or peel some of your gum line in order to clean deeply underneath.

Once this is complete, the next step is to introduce a thorough dental and oral hygiene regimen to your daily routine. Daily brushing and flossing is vital, and flossing and brushing between meals is highly encouraged for the ultimate gingivitis treatment.

Remember, gingivitis is highly treatable. It is not a permanent condition and it doesn’t take much to improve the situation and rid yourself of gingivitis altogether. Simply follow the gingivitis treatment plan and you can avoid periodontal disease and keep your teeth well into your old age.

Last updated on Feb 22nd, 2010 and filed under Dental Health. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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