Tuesday 24 May 2011

Gingivitis

To make matters simple, Gingivitis is nothing but the inflammation of the gums. It is a form of periodontal disease.
What causes Gingivitis ?
Gingivitis is caused by the plaque form on your teeth which when hardens get deposited at the base of tooth. Plaque is a sticky material made of bacteria, mucus and food debris. The plaque turns into a hard material known as tartar that becomes trapped at the base of your teeth and the bacteria and harmful toxins can further irritate and inflame the gums causing the same.

Vigorous brushing and flossing of teeth also can lead to the formation of Gingivitis.
Apart from this there are other elements that can cause Gingivitis are as follows:

• General illness

• Poor dental hygiene

• Pregnancy (hormonal changes increase the sensitivity of the gums)

• Uncontrolled diabetes

• Rough edges of fillings and ill-fitting or unclean mouth appliances (such as braces, dentures, bridges, and crowns) can irritate the gums and increase the risk of gingivitis.

• Medications such as phenytoin and birth control pills, and heavy metals such as lead and bismuth are also associated with gingivitis.

• It usually develops during puberty or early adulthood due to hormonal changes and may persist or recur frequently, depending on the health of your teeth and gums
Why treating Gingivitis ?

Gingivitis involves inflammation and infection that gradually destroys tooth tissues that hold the tooth in place. It also impacts the gums, periodontal ligaments and tooth socket and finally results in loss of tooth.

Signs and symptoms

The general symptoms of Gingivitis are as follows:

• Bleeding gums (blood on toothbrush even with gentle brushing of the teeth)

• Bright red or red-purple appearance to gums

• Gums that are tender when touched, but otherwise painless

• Mouth sores

• Swollen gums

• Shiny appearance to gums


During test and examination, dentists will look for soft, swollen, red-purple gums. All the tartar and plaque can be found at the base of the tooth. The gums are usually painless and mildly softer.

Duration of treatment

Generally the treatment duration varies from 1 week to 2 weeks depending upon the criticality of your disease and other factors.


Treatment procedure

The treatment is done with the objective of reducing the inflammation. Professional dentists, after cleaning the teeth advise the patients how to brush and floss properly in order to keep your teeth healthy. Professional tooth cleaning in addition to brushing and flossing may be recommended twice per year or more frequently for severe cases. Antibacterial mouth rinses or other aids may be recommended in addition to frequent, careful, tooth brushing and flossing. Repair of misaligned teeth or replacement of dental and orthodontic appliances may be recommended.

Post treatment complications

Following are the few complications that may arise after carrying out the entire treatment:

• Recurrence of gingivitis

• Periodontitis

• Infection or abscess of the gingiva or the jaw bones

• Trench mouth

You need to approach your dentist under the following circumstances post treatment:

• If symptoms of gingivitis are present, especially if you have not had a routine cleaning and examination in the last 6 months.

• If the medication advised by the dentist Is not curing the problem of Gingivitis.

Preventive measures

A few preventive measures are as follows:

• Prevention is better than cure. A sound oral hygiene is the best treatment and cure for Gingivitis

• The teeth should be brushed at least twice daily and flossed gently at least once per day. For people who are prone to gingivitis, brushing and flossing may be recommended after every meal and at bedtime.

• Special appliances or tools like special toothpicks, toothbrushes, water irrigation, or other devices may be advisable to the patients

• Usage of anti-plaque or anti-tartar toothpastes or mouth rinses are recommended

• Regular professional tooth cleaning is important to remove plaque that may develop even with careful brushing and flossing. Many dentists recommend having the teeth professionally cleaned at least every 6 months.
For more updated information and process information see: dentists in Pune

2 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The most effective cure for gingivitis thaoduocsucmiengyentu

    ReplyDelete