Inflamed gums

It’s a common problem

Healthy gums never bleed. Do you suffer from bleeding gums? Then this is an indication that your gums are inflamed. If you do not treat this, it can eventually lead to tooth loss. Inflamed gums do not disappear automatically. Make an appointment with our dental hygienist to have the inflamed gums treated.

 

What are inflamed gums?

Gum inflammation happens to half of the Dutch population regularly. So it’s a common problem. Inflamed gums is a signal that your gums are not doing well. Healthy gums are pink in color. Inflamed gums are red, blood when brushing or sometimes eating and are very sensitive to touch.

 

Symptoms of inflamed gums

When the gums are inflamed it is important to improve the overall health of your mouth. It is important to treat this to prevent serious problems. When you leave a gum disease undisturbed, space is created between your gums and your teeth. This is a place where bacteria can settle and cause serious problems. It is therefore important to recognize the symptoms of inflamed gums.

  • Red colored gums
  • Swollen gums
  • Sensitive gums
  • Bleeding gums
  • Space between the gums and the teeth
  • Unpleasant taste in the mouth
  • Bad breath

 

What to do if you suffer from inflamed gums

If you suffer from one of the aforementioned symptoms you may suffer from inflamed gums. If you leave this untreated, this leads to serious dental problems. That is why we would like to see you at the dental hygienist to examine the health of the gums.

 

Causes of Gum Inflammation

Gum disease is caused by dental plaque. If you do not remove plaque sufficiently, this can lead to inflammation of the gums. Certainly if you wait too long before brushing, dental plaque can lead to tartar. You cannot remove tartar by brushing your teeth. Brushing twice a day helps prevent tartar. In addition, we also advise you to have a professional dental cleaning twice a year with our dental hygienist. There are several causes that can lead to inflamed gums.

 

  • Too little brushing of the teeth
  • Brushing with too much force
  • Use a toothbrush with too hard hair
  • Do not floss daily
  • Smoking
  • Reduced resistance
  • A vitamin C or vitamin D deficiency
  • Greater chance of gum disease during pregnancy

 

Leave gum disease untreated

If you leave a gum disease untreated, this can lead to serious dental problems. The inflammation of the gums goes through a number of phases. Ultimately this can even lead to tooth loss. Treatment is therefore necessary to prevent worse.

About 10% of gum disease leads to periodontitis. Periodontitis creates space between the gums and the teeth. Because of this there is room for bacteria to settle in this space. You cannot reach these spaces by brushing your teeth and flossing. This will cause the plaque and therefore tartar to accumulate here, with all its consequences. Ultimately, this leads to inflammation of the root canal or even to the loss of the tooth.

 

Are inflamed gums contagious?

Inflamed gums are created by bacteria and people simply transfer bacteria to each other. Fortunately the bacteria are not that strong and a mouth in good condition can cope with these bacteria. By brushing and flossing your teeth twice a day, you do not give a tooth attack, plaque or tartar a chance to cause problems. Tartar is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria. So yes, bacteria can be transmitted but do not cause inflammation of the gums. However, never use another person’s toothbrush. A toothbrush is an important place where bacteria accumulate.

 

Treat gum disease

Visit the dental hygienist twice a year for professional dental cleaning. This prevents gum problems. However, if you suffer from the symptoms of inflamed gums, make an appointment directly with our dental hygienist.