Gum Disease: 6 Facts Everyone Needs To Know

Your gums are an integral element of your smile. They support your teeth and protect your roots and jaw from infection. Issues with your gums could affect the health of your entire mouth.

Despite the importance of gums, they are often overlooked. You probably think about your teeth daily; whenever you brush them or see your smile in a reflection. You may even care enough about your teeth to invest in cosmetic procedures to enhance your smile.

You might not think about your gums until something happens to them. Maybe they feel sore or are bleeding. Gum disease is a common problem that you shouldn’t overlook.

In this article, we’ll look at six essential facts about gum disease that you need to know.

1. Bacteria Causes Gum Disease

Like tooth decay, gum disease is caused by bacteria. We all have countless bacteria in our mouths. Some bacteria help your body perform essential functions, while others are harmful if left to their own devices.

You can never rid yourself of these harmful bacteria, but you can manage them.

Bacteria feed on sugar and starch in your diet. The food debris, bacteria, and saliva in your mouth mix to create plaque, an invisible sticky substance that coats your teeth and gums.  

When you’re not thorough enough with your hygiene routine, this plaque can harden to form tartar on the edges of your teeth. Tartar aggravates your gums and causes gum disease.

2. There Are Two Types of Gum Disease

Gingivitis is the most common and mildest form of gum disease. This affects most people at some point in their lives. At this stage, gum disease may just be irritating.

Periodontitis is an advanced gum disease. If you have this condition, it can seriously impact your health.

3. Your Gum Disease Will Get Worse Without Intervention

Although gingivitis may only lead to mild irritation, if you leave it untreated, it will eventually develop into periodontitis.

If you have gingivitis, the first sign you’ll see is probably blood spots on your toothbrush. You may also have inflamed, sore, or darker gums.

At this stage, more thorough routine cleaning can reverse the problem. Brush for two minutes morning and night, and ensure you clean every surface right up to the gums. Flossing and using mouthwash will also remove bacteria and food particles from hard-to-reach areas.

Coming to see us for a hygiene appointment will also help you fight gum disease.

4. Gum Disease Impacts Your Entire Smile

What starts as very slight bleeding or soreness can soon turn into something more serious. Eventually, the bacteria will create pockets below the gums. This causes your teeth to loosen, and they could easily fall out.

Advanced gum disease can also cause deterioration in your jaws. As your jaw becomes depleted, it alters your facial structure, giving you a prematurely aged appearance.

5. Bad Breath Is Often a Sign of Gum Disease

Along with the other symptoms, gum disease causes bad breath. This is often accompanied by a bad taste.

While your first reaction may be to freshen your breath by sucking a mint or chewing gum, this could provide more sugar for the bacteria to consume. The best thing to do is visit us for a checkup or hygiene appointment.

6. Gum Disease Can Easily Go Undetected

Often, the signs of gum disease are so subtle that you may live with them without noticing. Missing the small blood spots or not looking at the colour of your gums may mean they progressively worsen.

Making regular appointments for full checkups and seeing our hygienist are the best ways to ensure you’re not missing vital clues.

Gum Health at Kreate Dental

At Kreate Dental, we’re here for the whole of your smile. Prevention is always better than the cure, so we recommend coming to see us often.

Get in touch today to book your next appointment.