Healthy gums are the foundation of healthy teeth. The gums form the first barrier against mouth bacteria which; in sufficient amounts; could cause advanced gum disease and eventual tooth loss.
It has also been proven scientifically that there is a close link between gum disease and heart disease in many cases. Therefore, gum health is an important factor in maintaining your overall well-being.
How does gum disease start
Well, gum disease is mainly caused by plaque bacteria. Plaque is a film of bacteria and other substances which cling to the tooth surface. If plaque is left on, it thickens, and the bacteria multiply. Bacteria inside the plaque film are very toxic to gum tissue, and the first sign of gum disease is gum bleeding when you brush or spontaneously. Gum bleeding is not caused by brushing; it is caused by plaque bacteria secreting toxins and causing gum inflammation.
At this stage, getting the right advice on the appropriate brushing technique, in addition to cleaning between the teeth (not with a toothpick!) and following the advice are sufficient to remove the plaque film and reverse the inflammatory process. This will reduce or eliminate bleeding and return the gum to excellent health. This is the stage of gum disease that dentists call gingivitis.
Gingivitis is preventable and easily treated; you only need to visit your hygienist or dentist regularly to get advice on keeping your teeth plaque-free and your gums healthy and comfortable.
In the another post I will be discussing the advanced stages of gum disease, their causes and the ways to prevent their occurrence, and possible ways of managing advanced gum disease; it is worth remembering that without professional help and advice, gum disease could progress quite rapidly and eventual tooth loss could be the result; it is also worth noting that without professional advice and treatment; over the counter remedies alone would not work.
How much does treating your gums cost? Tudor House Dental has a guide on the costs of seeing a private dentist here.
Bleeding Gums
Gum disease is a preventable condition in most cases. However, it needs to be diagnosed first. As it was mentioned in the previous posting; gum disease is relatively silent and may not cause any significant symptoms. Strangely enough, the most common symptom of gum disease, mostly overlooked by many and sometimes considered “normal”,; is bleeding gums.
Bleeding when brushing or spontaneously is never normal. Imagine rubbing your skin or eye then discovering that this leads to some bleeding; would you consider this normal? Would you overlook it, and consider it as “one of those things that happens from time to time”? Hardly.
Gum tissue is naturally tough, as it must resist the trauma of heat and cold, rough and tough foodstuff, brushing and many other stimuli. Gum bleeding signals inflammation caused by bacteria in plaque that accumulates around the gum tissue and isn’t effectively removed by regular home care.
The enzymes and toxins secreted by the plaque bacteria cause damage that starts the inflammation process, which in turn changes the natural toughness of the gum tissue. As a result, in response to the attack by plaque bacteria, the tiny blood vessels in the gum tissue start to open up to increase blood flow, which carries the necessary defence cells. The gum tissue becomes swollen and bleeds easily and profusely to minor trauma e.g. brushing and chewing.
Surprisingly, many people, when experiencing bleeding gums, think that brushing lightly, using a soft brush, or even not brushing at all will stop the bleeding! Indeed it may; but not because the cause of the bleeding has been eliminated; the plaque will still be there and the damage that it is causing would certainly continue.
- Now, you may think I am assuming you do not brush your teeth!
I never said that; in fact, I know you do, maybe once, twice or even more per day; however, this does not mean that you are “cleaning” all the plaque off. Most of us, including myself, when we were young, were given a toothbrush and toothpaste and were asked to brush twice a day, and that was it! No one showed us how to “clean” the plaque off; in fact no one showed us what the plaque looks like! Much like giving someone a hairbrush and asking them to brush their hair and make it tidy without a mirror in sight! And expecting a good job!
Most people brush; most people use toothpaste, and most people use mouthwash, but most people expect these things to do the job of cleaning the plaque off! The sad fact is..they won’t. It is you who can clean the plaque off and prevent gum disease from causing irreparable damage.
If you don’t have gum disease, you most certainly won’t lose any teeth, and you won’t spend a lot of money on dental care.
Sources and further reading
- NHS – Gum disease: symptoms, treatment and prevention
- NHS inform (Scotland) – Gum disease: gingivitis and periodontitis
- Oral Health Foundation – Gum disease: causes, gingivitis and periodontal disease
- GOV.UK – Delivering Better Oral Health, Chapter 5: Periodontal diseases
- British Society of Periodontology and Implant Dentistry – UK Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Treatment of Periodontitis