Gum disease is an infection of the tissues that hold your teeth in place. It’s usually caused by poor oral hygiene and unhealthy habits that allow plaque to accumulate on teeth and harden.
If left untreated, it can cause tenderness, bleeding, pain, and even tooth loss.
Learn the common causes and risk factors of gum disease and some treatment options.
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What is Happening with
My Gums? Gum Disease,
Bleeding, Causes, and
Treatment
B LOG | S UNR I S E D EN T I S T R Y
https://sunrise-dentistry.com/
It starts with redness and
inflammation, and then your gums
may begin to bleed when flossing or
brushing.
At Sunrise Dentistry, one of the
things we evaluate during a new
patient exam is the wellness of your
gums.
One of the reasons our patients must
fill out a health history form when
they become a new patient is that
there are common conditions,
medications, and behaviors that can
alert the dentist to reasons behind
such things as weak teeth and bones,
or gum disease.
So, let’s start with some of the most
common reasons for inflamed and
bleeding gums, and then we’ll talk
about what to do about it.
What Causes Gum Problems?
Poor hygiene and some lifestyle
habits can hamper your oral health.
Smoking
Smoking increases the risk of gum
disease. It interferes with the P.H.
balance and natural flora in the
mouth and negatively effects the
healthy functioning of the cells of
gum tissue.
The more cigarettes smoked and
longer you smoke., the more a person
is at risk of periodontal disease, which
cannot be reversed.
Not Brushing and Flossing
As days pass without brushing and
flossing, plaque remains on the teeth
and produces toxins that inflame the
gums.
Over time, the gum tissue starts to
separate from the teeth, creating a
pocket. The deeper the pocket, the
more bacteria will collect in it.
If a person combines a habit like not
brushing and flossing with another
factor that harms the gums, this
process is likely to be accelerated,
leading to damage like abscesses,
abfractions, bone loss, and
eventually the loss of a tooth.
Poor Diet
People who do not eat a healthy
diet are at higher risk for tooth and
gum disease.
Eating a diet high in starchy
carbohydrates, sugars, and sugary
drinks and juices increases
harmful bacteria in your mouth.
In addition, a poor diet does not
usually provide adequate healthy
vitamins and minerals to sustain the
health of the body, including the teeth
and gums, or give us the basic elements
necessary to help us heal them.
If you know you have a poor diet, work
on changing it, and while you are
working on that, be sure you brush and
floss at least twice every day.
Clenching and Grinding
We see evidence of clenching and
grinding in our patients every day.
Often times, patients immediately
say they don’t do that.
While most of us are usually aware of
what we are doing with our bodies
when we are awake, we really don’t
know what we are doing at night
when we are sleeping.
A person who has sleep apnea is likely
to clench and grind their teeth, a
result of the body trying to breathe
and panicking.
Some big, tell-tale signs of clenching
and grinding include worn down
cusps on the cuspids, especially the
back molars and premolars. In patient
x-rays, there will be evidence of
angled bone loss and widened
periodontal ligaments.
People who grind and are not
protecting their teeth with a hard
acrylic nightguard are stressing the
teeth and all the supporting structures
like the gums, periodontal ligaments,
and bones much more than normal.
This can make the teeth
hypersensitive and the whole
supporting structure achy or painful.
Over time and without treatment, the
teeth may start to move around. The
space that is created between the
tooth and the gum through extended
clenching and grinding allows
bacteria to penetrate deeper into the
gum line, leading to inflamed gums,
infection, bone loss and often,
eventually an abscess that results in
the patient needing to have the tooth
extracted or treated with a root canal.
Sometimes a dentist might know
better than the patient whether or
not they are grinding or clenching
their teeth. This is also known as
bruxism.
Other risk factors include stress,
hormonal changes in females, onset
of illnesses, and a need for
medication.
Also, genetic susceptibility can play a
factor, making some people more
likely to develop gum disease.
Now that you know the most
common causes and risk factors that
contribute to gum disease, let’s look at
what you may need to do about it.
How Do You Treat Common Gum
Problems?
Ideally, you want to know about the
condition of your gums through a
diagnosis with your dentist.
If you do have regular gum bleeding,
you should have your teeth and gums
evaluated.
Bleeding gums are not normal. The
diagnosis should come with a set of x-
rays. X-rays don’t just show us the
condition of teeth; they also show the
condition of gums and underlying
bone.
The other diagnostic tool that is used
by both dentists and hygienist is the
evaluation of the periodontal pockets
around the teeth. This is done with an
instrument called a periodontal
probe.
The probe measures the depth
between healthy gums and each
tooth. The average depth should be
about 3 millimeters or less. The larger
the depth, the more serious the degree
of periodontal disease.
The less serious condition is called
gingivitis. This part of the progression
of gum disease is the only one that can
be reversed.
If the patient has excessive buildup on
their teeth, it may require a
debridement be done first.
Once a person has progressed past
gingivitis, the damage that has
happened cannot be reversed, and the
patient may need to be referred to an
endodontist or a periodontist
specialist in order to receive
treatment.
Scaling and root planing is when the
hygienist uses a small scaler or
ultrasonic scaler to clean all of the
periodontal pockets.
This will remove the plaque and tartar
to the bottom of each pocket. After the
scaling, the root surfaces of the teeth
are planed or smoothed so that the
gum tissue can heal and reattach to
the teeth.
If the gum disease is particularly
severe, your dentist may refer you to a
periodontist.
A periodontist is a dentist that
specializes in treating diseases that
affect the bone and gum tissue. The
periodontist can perform periodontal
surgery, in which inflamed tissue is
removed.
This reduces the occurrence of
additional bone damage and allows
more space for the periodontist to
access areas where tartar and plaque
can accumulate. Other surgeries that
may be needed include bone grafts
and gum grafts.
Signs and Symptoms of Gum
Disease
How do you know if you have gum
disease? Any of the following can be
an indication of a gum problem:
Tender, bleeding gums
Red and swollen gums
Sensitive teeth
Painful chewing
Bad breath
Loose teeth
Pus around the teeth and gums
Bad taste
Changes in the way partials fit
It is possible to have no symptoms at
all, so don’t rely on symptoms
showing up before seeing a dentist.
In the simplest terms, gum disease is
an infection of the bones and gums
that support the teeth.
Significant evidence has shown a
possible correlation between gum
disease and other health issues like
diabetes, cardiovascular disease,
bacterial pneumonia, and stroke.
A healthy diet helps us avoid the
systemic imbalance that makes us
much more prone to teeth and gum
problems, as well as these other
health concerns.
If you are not sure what a healthy diet
is, discuss that with a health care
professional that understands how
critical diet is for your overall health.
dale@durangolive.net
EMAIL ADDRESS
(970) 247-3303
PHONE NUMBER
https://sunrise-dentistry.com/
CLICK BELOW TO VISIT SITE:
Contact
Details
My Gums? Gum Disease,
Bleeding, Causes, and
Treatment
B LOG | S UNR I S E D EN T I S T R Y
https://sunrise-dentistry.com/
It starts with redness and
inflammation, and then your gums
may begin to bleed when flossing or
brushing.
At Sunrise Dentistry, one of the
things we evaluate during a new
patient exam is the wellness of your
gums.
One of the reasons our patients must
fill out a health history form when
they become a new patient is that
there are common conditions,
medications, and behaviors that can
alert the dentist to reasons behind
such things as weak teeth and bones,
or gum disease.
So, let’s start with some of the most
common reasons for inflamed and
bleeding gums, and then we’ll talk
about what to do about it.
What Causes Gum Problems?
Poor hygiene and some lifestyle
habits can hamper your oral health.
Smoking
Smoking increases the risk of gum
disease. It interferes with the P.H.
balance and natural flora in the
mouth and negatively effects the
healthy functioning of the cells of
gum tissue.
The more cigarettes smoked and
longer you smoke., the more a person
is at risk of periodontal disease, which
cannot be reversed.
Not Brushing and Flossing
As days pass without brushing and
flossing, plaque remains on the teeth
and produces toxins that inflame the
gums.
Over time, the gum tissue starts to
separate from the teeth, creating a
pocket. The deeper the pocket, the
more bacteria will collect in it.
If a person combines a habit like not
brushing and flossing with another
factor that harms the gums, this
process is likely to be accelerated,
leading to damage like abscesses,
abfractions, bone loss, and
eventually the loss of a tooth.
Poor Diet
People who do not eat a healthy
diet are at higher risk for tooth and
gum disease.
Eating a diet high in starchy
carbohydrates, sugars, and sugary
drinks and juices increases
harmful bacteria in your mouth.
In addition, a poor diet does not
usually provide adequate healthy
vitamins and minerals to sustain the
health of the body, including the teeth
and gums, or give us the basic elements
necessary to help us heal them.
If you know you have a poor diet, work
on changing it, and while you are
working on that, be sure you brush and
floss at least twice every day.
Clenching and Grinding
We see evidence of clenching and
grinding in our patients every day.
Often times, patients immediately
say they don’t do that.
While most of us are usually aware of
what we are doing with our bodies
when we are awake, we really don’t
know what we are doing at night
when we are sleeping.
A person who has sleep apnea is likely
to clench and grind their teeth, a
result of the body trying to breathe
and panicking.
Some big, tell-tale signs of clenching
and grinding include worn down
cusps on the cuspids, especially the
back molars and premolars. In patient
x-rays, there will be evidence of
angled bone loss and widened
periodontal ligaments.
People who grind and are not
protecting their teeth with a hard
acrylic nightguard are stressing the
teeth and all the supporting structures
like the gums, periodontal ligaments,
and bones much more than normal.
This can make the teeth
hypersensitive and the whole
supporting structure achy or painful.
Over time and without treatment, the
teeth may start to move around. The
space that is created between the
tooth and the gum through extended
clenching and grinding allows
bacteria to penetrate deeper into the
gum line, leading to inflamed gums,
infection, bone loss and often,
eventually an abscess that results in
the patient needing to have the tooth
extracted or treated with a root canal.
Sometimes a dentist might know
better than the patient whether or
not they are grinding or clenching
their teeth. This is also known as
bruxism.
Other risk factors include stress,
hormonal changes in females, onset
of illnesses, and a need for
medication.
Also, genetic susceptibility can play a
factor, making some people more
likely to develop gum disease.
Now that you know the most
common causes and risk factors that
contribute to gum disease, let’s look at
what you may need to do about it.
How Do You Treat Common Gum
Problems?
Ideally, you want to know about the
condition of your gums through a
diagnosis with your dentist.
If you do have regular gum bleeding,
you should have your teeth and gums
evaluated.
Bleeding gums are not normal. The
diagnosis should come with a set of x-
rays. X-rays don’t just show us the
condition of teeth; they also show the
condition of gums and underlying
bone.
The other diagnostic tool that is used
by both dentists and hygienist is the
evaluation of the periodontal pockets
around the teeth. This is done with an
instrument called a periodontal
probe.
The probe measures the depth
between healthy gums and each
tooth. The average depth should be
about 3 millimeters or less. The larger
the depth, the more serious the degree
of periodontal disease.
The less serious condition is called
gingivitis. This part of the progression
of gum disease is the only one that can
be reversed.
If the patient has excessive buildup on
their teeth, it may require a
debridement be done first.
Once a person has progressed past
gingivitis, the damage that has
happened cannot be reversed, and the
patient may need to be referred to an
endodontist or a periodontist
specialist in order to receive
treatment.
Scaling and root planing is when the
hygienist uses a small scaler or
ultrasonic scaler to clean all of the
periodontal pockets.
This will remove the plaque and tartar
to the bottom of each pocket. After the
scaling, the root surfaces of the teeth
are planed or smoothed so that the
gum tissue can heal and reattach to
the teeth.
If the gum disease is particularly
severe, your dentist may refer you to a
periodontist.
A periodontist is a dentist that
specializes in treating diseases that
affect the bone and gum tissue. The
periodontist can perform periodontal
surgery, in which inflamed tissue is
removed.
This reduces the occurrence of
additional bone damage and allows
more space for the periodontist to
access areas where tartar and plaque
can accumulate. Other surgeries that
may be needed include bone grafts
and gum grafts.
Signs and Symptoms of Gum
Disease
How do you know if you have gum
disease? Any of the following can be
an indication of a gum problem:
Tender, bleeding gums
Red and swollen gums
Sensitive teeth
Painful chewing
Bad breath
Loose teeth
Pus around the teeth and gums
Bad taste
Changes in the way partials fit
It is possible to have no symptoms at
all, so don’t rely on symptoms
showing up before seeing a dentist.
In the simplest terms, gum disease is
an infection of the bones and gums
that support the teeth.
Significant evidence has shown a
possible correlation between gum
disease and other health issues like
diabetes, cardiovascular disease,
bacterial pneumonia, and stroke.
A healthy diet helps us avoid the
systemic imbalance that makes us
much more prone to teeth and gum
problems, as well as these other
health concerns.
If you are not sure what a healthy diet
is, discuss that with a health care
professional that understands how
critical diet is for your overall health.
dale@durangolive.net
EMAIL ADDRESS
(970) 247-3303
PHONE NUMBER
https://sunrise-dentistry.com/
CLICK BELOW TO VISIT SITE:
Contact
Details