Is gingivitis something that I need to be worry about?
Sometimes the mouth can seem like a murky swampland; dark and wet with bacteria running amuck. In the dense humidity a foreboding word slithers in…gingivitis. Wiping beads of sweat from your brow, you look over your shoulder and shudder. What is that? What causes it? And most importantly, do I have it?
What is Gingivitis?
If you turn on your flashlight and brush aside the moss, we can see into this muddy water and find answers. “Gingiva” is the fancy word for “gums” and “itis” means “inflammatory disease.” So, gingivitis is gum disease.
What Causes Gum Disease?
Now that we have shed a little light on what it is, let’s put on our boots and step back into the dank lowlands of the mouth to search out the cause.
The disease starts with the bacteria that is lurking in your mouth. Every mouth has bacteria in it and sometimes the bacteria is harmless. However, some harmful bacteria attaches itself to the teeth in an invisible slime. Like a leech, this slime holds on tight and cements itself to the teeth. At this stage, it is called plaque and it can only be removed by a professional. If the plaque is not scraped off of the teeth, it will begin to seep into the gums and cause irritation. The gums will become red and swollen. This inflammation of the gums is gingivitis.
How Do I Know if I Have Gingivitis?
Don’t worry, you are not alone in the marshes of the mouth; more than half of all adults have some level of gingivitis. Certain factors can put you at a higher risk of getting gum disease, including pregnancy, diabetes, and smoking. Some possible indicators are:
- bleeding of the gums when brushing or flossing
- red and/or swollen gums
- chronic bad breath
- sores inside the mouth
If you have any of these symptoms, send up a flare! We can launch a search party and start to treat your mouth before it becomes overgrown and treacherous. The best course of action is to talk with a dentist and set up a plan for the conservation of your oral health. We can get you to higher ground!
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