What is Gingivitis? Everything You Need to Know
After you brush your teeth and give your mouth a good rinse and spit, is it normal for you to notice some blood? Or maybe after you floss, you see a few areas between your teeth start to bleed, but you only attribute that to a lack of regular flossing. The truth is you’re experiencing the first stage of gum disease: gingivitis, which most adults suffer from.
The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research estimates that 80% of adults in the United States have some degree of gum disease. Given the fact that gum disease is a preventable condition, it is unfortunate that so many adults are plagued with some form of gum issue. However, most people probably don’t realize how serious a simple case of gingivitis may become. Gum disease can quickly progress into bone and tissue loss if left untreated.
Below we’ll explain what causes gingivitis, what warning signs to watch out for, and what treatment options we can offer at Brand Dental.
What is Gingivitis?
Gingivitis is the first stage or indication of gum disease. Characteristics include gum inflammation, redness, and irritation in your gum tissue. Gingivitis occurs when plaque produced by food particles and bacteria forms on your teeth daily and isn’t adequately removed. Plaque biofilm causes gum inflammation and tooth decay, which is why it is vital to brush and floss your teeth thoroughly every day.
Furthermore, if plaque isn’t removed, it hardens into calculus (tartar), which can only be removed during a dental cleaning with specialized dental tools.
When gingivitis is allowed to progress untreated, it can lead to a more severe form of gum disease called periodontitis, which can cause bone loss and tooth loss.
Signs and Symptoms of Gingivitis
Healthy, happy gums should be pale pink in color and fit snugly around the base of each tooth. Signs and symptoms of gingivitis include:
- Bright or dark red gum tissue
- Swollen, inflamed, or puffy gums
- Shiny gum tissue
- Bleeding gums-especially after brushing and flossing
- Tender gum tissue
- Receding gum line
- Unexplained tooth sensitivity
- Halitosis (bad breath)
- A frequent metallic taste in your mouth
The best way to diagnose if you have any form of gum disease is by seeing your dentist. The reason being, gum disease in its early stages can be challenging to spot. However, your dentist and dental hygienist have specific training to look for gum disease, which means they will be more likely to spot it early on and provide treatment options.
Risk Factors of Gingivitis
Certain risk factors can increase your chances of developing gingivitis; those include:
- Poor dental hygiene. If you haven’t been brushing your teeth twice a day for two minutes or flossing daily, you are more likely to develop gingivitis. Need some pointers? Check out our helpful tips for brushing and flossing your teeth for more home care recommendations.
- Smoking, vaping, chewing tobacco. Using tobacco products can cause various health problems, including cancer, heart disease, lung disease, and gum disease.
- Hormones. Females, in particular, are more likely to develop gingivitis during hormonal changes (i.e., during puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause).
- Genetics. Gingivitis and gum disease may run in your family, and unfortunately, people with a family history are more prone to develop gum disease themselves.
- Age. Older individuals are more likely to develop gingivitis than younger people. However, kids and teenagers can get it too.
- Poor nutrition. A poorly balanced diet, especially one containing a lot of carbohydrates, sugars, and not enough vitamin C, can increase the risk of developing gingivitis.
- Crooked teeth. Crowded teeth or even dental restorations like crowns and bridges can be difficult to clean, which makes it harder to ensure you are removing all the plaque and food residue. One way to address the crowding is to look into orthodontic treatment such as Invisalign. To help clean around crowns and/or bridges, you would benefit from an electric toothbrush and a Waterpik.
- Medications. Certain medications such as high blood pressure meds, calcium channel blockers for angina, birth control pills, and phenytoin for epileptic seizures can increase your risk. Select cancer treatment can also increase your chances of developing gingivitis.
- Medical Conditions. Select fungal and viral infections can increase your chances of developing gingivitis. In addition, conditions that compromise your immune system, such as leukemia or HIV/AIDS, can also make you more susceptible to gingivitis.
Treatment Options
Determining which treatment option is right for you depends on several factors, including how severe your gingivitis is and what stage of gum disease you’re experiencing.
Treatment for Gingivitis
The best way to determine if you only have gingivitis is to undergo a professional dental cleaning at our Kingston, PA office. The dental hygienist will remove any built-up plaque or calculus and take measurements of your gum tissue to make sure everything is healthy. Then the dentist will examine your teeth for decay and check your gum and bone health by reviewing your measurements and evaluating your digital X-rays.
You’ll also need to do your part at home by developing or maintaining an excellent home care routine. This routine will need to include brushing your teeth twice a day for two minutes each time and flossing daily to remove food debris, plaque, and bacteria.
Treatment for Periodontitis
Gingivitis that has progressed beyond the early stages is classified as periodontitis. In which case, the dentist may recommend that you have a deeper dental cleaning called scaling and root planing done or, in some cases, refer you to a periodontist. A periodontist is a specialized dentist that has further education in the field of gum disease and treatments. Although the dentist or periodontist can treat your gum disease, it will be even more critical to maintain regular dental cleanings and a great home hygiene routine.
Make an Appointment with Brand Dental
It’s essential to address your gingivitis right away to prevent it from developing into something more serious. So, if you’ve noticed some bleeding while brushing or flossing, schedule an appointment today at our Kingston, PA office. Our highly trained dental team looks forward to helping you fight gum disease.
