Gingivitis: causes, treatment and prevention

Gingivitis, also known as gum disease, affects practically 90% of the adult population. It is so common that many people have even become accustomed to the slight bleeding that occurs when they brush their teeth. But gingivitis, which is treatable and reversible in its early stages, can become complicated and even lead to tooth loss.

Therefore, in this article we want to explain in depth what gingivitis is, as well as its possible causes, treatment and prevention measures. But first and foremost, if your gums bleed when you brush your teeth, we recommend that you visit your dentist immediately, to establish the state of health of your gums and prevent the disease from progressing. Other causes should also be ruled out, such as advanced gum disease (periodontitis) or blood disorders (such as alterations of the coagulaciperiodontograma in the gums. This is the reason for the coagulation destruction).

What is gingivitis?

It is a disease of bacterial origin, which occurs when plaque or biofilm accumulates around the teeth. The bacteria present in the plaque attack the soft tissue surrounding the tooth, causing redness, inflammation and bleeding.

Gingivitis is the first stage of the so-called “gum disease”. In a more advanced stage it becomes periodontitis, when the disease has affected the bone and the damage is irreversible. In advanced periodontitis, even tooth loss can occur due to loss of bone and gum support surrounding the tooth. We could say that the body’s defense system flees from the bacteria, which is why there is a destruction of the tissue, which migrates towards the root to get away from the infection.

Symptoms of gingivitis

If you present any or several of the following symptoms, it is possible that you have gingivitis, although you should visit a specialist to diagnose it properly.

• Red and/or swollen gums.
• Gums sensitive to touch, even if they do not hurt.
• Bleeding when brushing or flossing your teeth.
• Bad breath or bad taste in the mouth.
• Receding gums, which make the teeth appear more elongated.

Treatment and prevention of gingivitis

The first thing to do is to see a specialist for a detailed and accurate diagnosis of the state of health of the gums. The periodontogram is the diagnostic tool. Then comes the treatment, a thorough cleaning to remove the tartar accumulated around the teeth. It will be very important in this visit to receive the necessary information to improve our hygiene at home and motivate us to take action, that is, to improve the care of our mouth. From this point on, we should follow the hygiene advice given to us by the specialist, for example:

• Brush your teeth with a brush of medium hardness and using gum-friendly movements.
• Use interdental brushes.
• Flossing after each brushing.
• Complement the hygiene with a mouthwash (only if necessary and the dentist tells us to do so).

In addition to these oral hygiene habits, there are other health and dietary habits that also influence gingivitis to a greater or lesser extent, such as smoking. Smoking causes and aggravates periodontal diseases.

A good diet and a healthy life in general also help us to prevent this type of diseases, since the body is in better conditions to fight infections.

Factors that can aggravate gingivitis

There are other factors that can aggravate this problem and that do not depend directly on our habits, so they are not so easy to modify or solve. However, our dentist can advise us in these cases:

• A malposition of the teeth, which makes it more difficult to remove plaque and tartar.
• Hormonal changes, either during pregnancy, menopause, or due to the use of oral contraceptives.
• Some systemic diseases, such as diabetes.
• Some medications, such as immunosuppressive treatments.

Our best advice is that, if you think you may suffer from gingivitis, do not let it pass and go immediately to your dentist. It is much easier to solve this problem at an early stage than in an advanced stage.