Why Gum Health Matters

Unhealthy gums are likely to have a negative impact on our oral and general health

Most of our Wickford patients  will probably have been told to “go and brush your teeth” when they were younger. This is good advice of course, but addresses only a part of the problem. Brushing your teeth will certainly help to prevent problems like tooth decay, but brushing our teeth alone is not enough to ensure that we have a healthy mouth.

The other important thing we need to do is to keep our gums in a healthy condition. Unfortunately this part of our daily oral care is often neglected, or at least only addressed in a cursory manner. As gum disease accounts for around half of all tooth loss, it is important that it should be addressed and more attention paid to this aspect of oral health care.

It should be said that you shouldn’t wait for symptoms to appear, such as bleeding gums, before you do anything about it. Gum disease is a progressive problem and even if your gums are healthy now, they may not always be. Preventative gum care then, is the best approach to take.

Problems caused by gum disease

There are two main stages to gum disease; gingivitis, which can be relatively mild and can usually be reversed and managed through a hygienist treatment at the Cygnet Dental Practice and periodontitis which is a more advanced form of the disease and affects not only the gums but the roots of the tooth and surrounding bone tissue. This is much more difficult to treat and can lead to wobbly teeth or tooth loss.

The following are some of the potential problems that sufferers of gingivitis and periodontitis might expect to occur.

Soreness and inflammation of the gums

This can be very uncomfortable and can make eating painful and difficult. In some instances, pus may be present which may leave a very unpleasant taste in the mouth too. Even if you have no teeth at all, it is essential to keep your gums healthy as it will make wearing dentures almost impossible due to the pain.

Receding gums

If our gums become infected, they are likely to recede. This not only makes the teeth look longer (hence the saying ‘long in the tooth’) but also exposes some of the root section of the tooth. This part is less well protected by enamel and is more vulnerable to tooth decay, increasing the need for treatment of cavities and possible tooth loss.

Bad breath/halitosis

Bad breath can sometimes be temporary, caused by foods or drinks that we consume; garlic being probably the best known example. Where bad breath persists though, it could well be caused by gum disease. Essentially, the smell is caused by the bacteria that are eating away at the gums expelling digestive gases .. not a very pleasant thought at all! The smell can be highly offensive to those around us and they may well avoid getting too close to us if we suffer from this.

Wobbly teeth and tooth loss

As mentioned earlier, advanced gum disease, or periodontitis, can start to affect the bone surrounding the teeth. As this starts to become compromised, the teeth are likely to become loose and less stable. In some instances, tooth loss is likely to occur as well.

Our general health

Whilst research is ongoing, there are increasingly links being made between the health of our gums and our overall health. Problems that have been linked with poor gum health include heart diseases, diabetes, respiratory problems, pregnancy complications and Alzheimer’s disease amongst others. It may not just be our oral health that suffers if we neglect our gums.

Maintaining good gum health

It is essential that our patients take good care to keep their gums in good health. The best place to start is to make an appointment with the hygienist at our Wickford dental clinic. Not only will they be able to carry out a thorough cleaning using the ‘scale and polish’ treatment, but will be able to offer advice on issues such as how your lifestyle can affect your gums, how to brush your teeth correctly and instruct you how to use dental floss, an essential part of oral health care. Even when you follow their advice, you should still see them every six months, or as advised, for a scale and polish as some bacteria will inevitably become hardened and attached to our teeth. This can only be removed professionally and not by home brushing.

We hope that we have convinced you how essential it is that you look after your gums and if you don’t already see the hygienist, now would be a good time to start. You can arrange your appointment at the Cygnet Dental Practice by calling us today on 01268 733078.