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Gingivitis-signs and symptoms, causes, treatment and prevention

What is gingivitis?

The inflammation of the gingival part of the gum in the oral cavity or mouth is called gingivitis. It is usually the first appearing mild and early-form of gum disease involved in the causation of periodontitis if left untreated.

Gums are the red colored tissues that surround the teeth holding them at the base.  The infection to these gums is gingivitis.

You may have seen a child or someone with blood-red, swollen appearing gums that would bleed quickly to touch along with irritation or mild pain on eating or chewing the food; this is the clinical picture of a person with gingivitis. It is becoming more common due to lack of oral hygiene. 

One must understand the importance of oral hygiene to keep such oral infections at bay.

What are the common signs and symptoms of gingivitis?

The commonly seen symptoms of gingivitis are:

  • Red shiny gums that look swollen
  • Tender to touch gums
  • Gums bleed easily on being touched
  • Presence of plague-build up in the teeth
  • Halitosis or foul breath from the mouth on speaking or breathing

What are the causes or risk factors of gingivitis?

The common causes of the early gum disease or gingivitis are:

  1. Plague-build-up on the teeth
  2. Bacterial invasion through plague
  3. Some people tend to get gingivitis more often than the others. The risk factors involved may be:
  4. Lack of oral hygiene
  5. Improper brushing due to crooked teeth
  6. People with diabetes
  7. Pregnant women due to hormonal variation
  8. People who smoke more
  9. People who eat tobacco
  10. People with history of medical treatments

How to diagnose gingivitis?

As soon as you notice above noted symptoms consult your dentist and visit him for the earliest possible treatment.

Your dentist may diagnose the condition on seeing the loose teeth, tender and easily bleeding gums and swollen appearance of your gums.  In case the doctor needs to rule out the further spread beneath the gums to the bone, he may order you a X-ray of the tooth to differentiate it from periodontitis.

How is gingivitis treated?

The treatment of gingivitis is a planned treatment to reverse the infective process and promote the oral health by implementing effective oral hygiene measures.

The dentist seeing you may remove the plague from your teeth gently by scaling and may fix any irregularities in the crown of your teeth.

The dentist may prescribe anti-bacterial or antiseptic oral or mouth rinses to gargle after each brushing or meals.

He may explain to you the importance of the oral hygiene and recommend strict oral habit plans to ensure the health of your oral cavity.

What can you do to reverse gingivitis naturally?

  1. Gingivitis can be reversed naturally if you follow strict dentist advice and maintain your oral habit routine.
  2. Twice brushing your teeth helps remove the harmful bacteria and other germs as well as any stuck-leftovers of the food.  Morning after getting up and night before going to bed.
  3. Flossing after meal helps remove the food particles trapped between your gums.
  4. Do not eat hard foods that may break the swollen gums causing bleeding.
  5. Do not eat too warm or too cold food items till your infection has healed.
  6. Try to massage your gums with antiseptic oral creams only and that too gently as prescribed by your dentist.
  7. Take your sugar medicines regularly and consume low sugar diet.

See your dentist at least for once in a year and get your mouth thoroughly assessed for any sort of oral cavity problems.


Note: This post is for informational and educational purpose only, It is not a substitute to any medical or professional advice or treatment. See your doctor in any case.

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