About gingival diseases
Introduction
Gingival diseases are the diseases that cause inflammation of the gums that surround the teeth. This inflammation may range from mild to severe. The mouth is full of bacteria some of which are good while others are harmful. If the mouth is not cleaned well, the bacteria, the mucus and other food particles in the mouth tend to from a sticky colorless plague that is found on the teeth. If this plague is not removed or washed away, it hardens to form tartar that cannot be removed through normal brushing. If the tartar is not removed and stays on the teeth for long, it leads to inflammation of the gums. These gingival diseases can cause permanent damage of the teeth and gums.
Symptoms of gingival diseases
Knowing the symptoms of the gingival diseases is essential in helping an individual to identify the diseases early enough before they cause serious damage to them. The following are main and common symptoms of the gingival diseases.
- Pain in the mouth that is backed by red, tender and swollen gums.
- Unexplained bleeding while brushing or eating.
- Unexplained loss of teeth.
- Presence of pus between the teeth and gums.
- Bad breath and sores in the mouth.
- Receding gums that tend to pull away from the teeth making the teeth look longer than usual.
- Inflammation of the gums which is the main symptom of gingival diseases.
- Change of the way the teeth fit together and change in the partial dentures.
Risk factors for the gingival diseases
Like all other diseases, the gingival diseases have various risk factors that if not avoided can lead to the serious gingival diseases. These risk factors are;
- Smoking is the most common cause of gingival diseases and it also reduces the chances of successful treatment of the diseases.
- Hormonal changes during puberty, pregnancy or steroid therapy that makes the gums sensitive and more vulnerable to gingival diseases.
- Taking certain medications that tend to reduce the flow of protective saliva in the mouth. This makes the mouth vulnerable to many infections including the gingival diseases.
- Genetic conditions that make people from a certain family probe to the gingival diseases.
- Suffering from cancer and other illnesses like AIDS and diabetes that compromise the immune system.
- People who do not observe good and proper mouth hygiene are at risk of suffering from the gingival diseases.
Treatment of gingival diseases
The goal of treating the gingival diseases is manage the infections and the treatment type depends on the extent of the gum disease. All the treatments are prescribed should be backed by good care of the mouth and change of habits that may affect the treatment process. The following are the main types of gingival diseases treatment.
Deep cleaning
The dentist removes the plague and the tartar through a deep cleaning method known as scaling and root planing. Scaling involves the scraping off of the tartar that is above and below the gum line while root planing involves the removal of rough spots from the root of the teeth where the germs collect and also removes the bacteria that contribute to the disease.
Medications
Some oral medications are prescribed to control the bacteria from causing further damage and manage the inflammation of the gums.
Surgery
- Flap surgery: this is conducted if the gingival diseases fail to respond to the treatment that is administered. It is used to remove the tartar deposits as well as reduce the periodontal pockets hence making it easy to clean the affected areas. After surgery, the gums heal and fit around the teeth in a better way than before.
- Bone and tissue grafts: this is done to regenerate the gums and bones that are lost or damage as a result of periodontitis. Bone grafting promotes bone growth.
