How to Know if you have a Healthy Gum!

We are very concerned about having a beautiful smile. But in most cases, we only care about the health of the teeth. Although having healthy gum is also very important. You must pay attention to the following signs that indicate if the state of your gums is correct, or if you should do something to improve it. If you need you can contact North Augusta Dentist for a free consultation. 

Let’s discuss the facts.

Color and Texture

Depending on the skin tone of each person, the appropriate color that indicates a healthy gum is pale pink, While colorations that are predominantly red should raise suspicions of an inflammatory problem.

Its appearance must be similar to that of ‘orange peel’, according to the periodontist. When bacteria inflames this tissue, the gingiva loses its tough appearance. And looks less firm and more fluctuating, edematous, and reddened. Contrastingly, if it flakes and is very irritated near the teeth, it could be due to an autoimmune disorder.

Bleeding during brushing

If you notice that brushing your teeth looks like a horror movie, maybe this is a sign that something is wrong. This is not because the brush hurts us, but because of excess dental plaque that irritates the gum and causes bleeding when brushing. The expert assures that, it is beneficial to brush more in that area.

Gum disease

Precisely the bleeding could indicate that we suffer from gingivitis or gum disease. It treats an inflammation caused by the bacteria that form plaque and tartar – a hard deposit due to the mineralization of the plaque itself – that accumulates between the base of the teeth and the gum causing bleeding.

Its symptoms are redness and swelling, bleeding -both during brushing and spontaneous-, as well as it can cause a bad smell and taste in the mouth. Fortunately, they are reversible if we remedy it in time and maintain proper hygiene.

Its treatment is simple, you just have to get rid of plaque and dental calculus, using ultrasound and curettes . Later at home, we must improve the oral hygiene technique also using other methods, in addition to the brush, such as floss and interdental brushes. Furthermore, it is highly recommended to rinse with a chlorhexidine mouthwash every day so that gingivitis subsides.

So that it does not repeat itself, it is advisable to constantly maintain these cleaning measures and go to maintenance visits periodically so that a professional removes the stone.

The fearsome pyorrhea

The worst consequence of neglecting or ignoring gingivitis is that it leads to periodontitis, commonly known as pyorrhea. It is an infection that affects the gums. And this is also characterized by the progressive destruction of the tooth or bone’s supporting tissues.

There is a genetic predisposition of some people, whose bacterial plaque attacks gums and bone, although there are also other risk factors such as tobacco, stress … that accelerate the evolution of the disease until finally the loss of teeth in a variable period of weather.

Because it is a painless and early process, you must be very attentive to signs such as

• longer teeth due to receding gums;
• dental mobility, as a result of bone resorption around the teeth; and as a final consequence,
• the loss of teeth. Likewise, it produces a bad smell and taste in the mouth, due to the waste products of the metabolism of bacterial plaque and tartar,
• displacement of the teeth -malpositions or increased space-, since there is a loss of dental support tissues that facilitate their migration.

First of all,  dentists perform a periodontogram and X-rays to determine how much bone loss the patient has suffered. They also perform a microbiological analysis to know the state of the virus inside your mouth. They also study your brushing routine and your general hygiene habits and suggest how to improve them.

The worst consequence of neglecting or ignoring gingivitis is that it leads to periodontitis, commonly known as pyorrhea “

The first part of the treatment consists of removing the calculus that exists below the gum with anesthesia, using curettes and ultrasounds – a basic phase referred to as scaling and root planing.

After the first scraping, it is possible to remove all the tartar under the gums. There will no longer be any presence of deep periodontal pockets (more than 5-6mm) or bleeding. In some cases it is possible to regenerate the lost bone. The surgical phase is also under anesthesia and once completed, the patient will only have to carry out periodontal maintenance.

Even so, before reaching this point, it is convenient that you make the pertinent visits to the dentist, which will vary according to your needs, and carry out adequate and daily oral hygiene to keep your mouth healthy and maintain a healthy gum.