A Gum Problem in Need of Treatment
One of the first signs of gum disease is going to be bleeding gums. At the same time, your gums may also be inflamed and redder than usual. This should be a good indicator that something needs to change – usually, it is your oral habits.
The Start of Gingivitis
Although it is not always the case, the biggest cause of gum disease is going to be a lack of proper care of your teeth. When the bacteria in your mouth are allowed to accumulate for long periods on your teeth, it will usually result in gum disease.
The bacteria produce acid, which will irritate the gums. Between the bacteria and the acid, an immune response is caused. This response will quickly get out of hand, and it becomes an autoimmune response. It starts attacking the gums – which will start causing the gums to recede. It also attacks the ligaments that support your teeth, and the jawbone. Before long, your teeth could start to become loose, and then they may fall out.
Eliminate Gum Disease Early
When you first notice bleeding gums, it is time to start working a little harder on your daily oral care. Gum disease can usually be rather easily eliminated at this stage. If you do nothing to improve your oral care, gingivitis becomes periodontitis – and you cannot remove it by yourself.
The reason you cannot eliminate it yourself is that as the gums recede, pockets are formed along the gum line. The bacteria hide in these pockets that are out of reach of your toothbrush and floss. The deeper the pockets the more damage there is occurring. The acids and other toxins from the bacteria are destroying your tissue and bone that support your teeth.
Halitosis
Apart from some of the foods you eat such as garlic and onions, bad breath (halitosis) comes from the bacteria in your mouth. As it consumes the sugary compounds in your food, it produces a sulfide gas, which causes bad breath.
If you do not brush your teeth frequently enough, you will develop bad breath. You also want to brush your tongue when you brush your teeth. A lack of regular flossing of your teeth can also result in bad breath. This means that you have bits of food between your teeth and it provides food for the bacteria to multiply and produce their undesirable gas.
Bad breath also comes from the increase of bacteria that are present in gum disease. Dentures that do not fit properly or that have not been properly cleaned can also produce bad breath.
If you have a continual problem with bad breath, you need to see a dentist about it. There are other health problems that can cause it as well, but a good place to start is at the dentist’s office. A cavity or an abscessed tooth can also produce bad breath.
Eating breath mints all day to cover up bad breath is not a lasting or good solution. The bacteria feed on sugar. This means that your breath mint will cause them to multiply and produce more gas. The only way to eliminate bad breath permanently is to treat the cause of the problem.
Another Problem
Gum disease, especially periodontitis, can also cause many other serious health problems. This is an excellent reason to work to eliminate it as quickly as possible. Connections have been made between the bacteria and inflammation in gum disease and cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, diabetes, stroke, dementia, cancer, and many more.
Tobacco
Of course, tobacco can cause bad breath, but that is not the only problem. Tobacco also reduces the flow of blood in the gums. This restricts the oxygen and nutrients to the gums, which not only reduces the effectiveness of your gum’s immune system, but it also means that the condition promotes gum disease. If you quit smoking, your battle with bad breath and gum disease have already taken a step forward.
Beware of Dry Mouth
If you do not have much saliva, it can also promote gum disease. Saliva regularly helps to reduce the number of bacteria that is in your mouth, and it also helps to wash away the acid it produces. When you do not have enough saliva, your dry mouth (called xerostomia) enables the bacteria to multiply faster and to produce more acid, which will promote gum disease. This problem can often be remedied by drinking more water or by chewing sugarless gum.
Gum Disease Treatment
The sooner you visit a dentist to determine the cause of bad breath and why your gums are bleeding the better off you will be. Gum disease continually grows worse over time and becomes more expensive the longer you wait. In more serious cases, the dentist will likely take an x-ray and measure the depth of the pockets on your gums. The gum infection treatment needed will depend on the level of gum disease present in your mouth.
Bad breath can usually be eliminated with proper oral care. If you have chronic bad breath, you can get a dental exam from ToothHQ Board Certified Periodontists.
