A healthy mouth means healthy, decay-free teeth but also means healthy gums. Gum health is just as important for overall health as healthy teeth.
Gum disease is the most common disease after dental decay. Gum disease is caused by inflammation of the gums. Inflammation can range from mild to more severe. When inflammation is mild, gum disease is painless but a common sign is bleeding of the gums during brushing. This milder form of gum disease is known as gingivitis.
The cause of inflammation and hence of gum disease, is bacterial build up around the gum line. Bacteria are always present in the oral cavity and is mostly found in plaque. Plaque is debris from food on which bacteria feed and grow. If plaque is allowed to build up heavily around the teeth, it can harden into a substance called calculus or tartar. The bacteria in plaque and tartar cause inflammation of the gums and hence gum disease.
calculus and plaque on teeth causing gingivitis
Chronic, long-lasting gum inflammation can however lead to recession of the gums where the gum tissue shrinks down and away from the teeth and the bone around the teeth also
recedes. If this continues unabated, the roots of the teeth can become exposed and the teeth can even become loose. This more severe form of gum disease is known as periodontitis. The loss of bone around the teeth that occurs in periodontitis is irreversible.
receded gums around teeth as a result of periodontitis
To prevent gum disease, plaque must be kept to a minimal level to prevent the level and type of bacteria to develop into a more virulent and disease-causing state. Hence, good oral hygiene is key to preventing gum disease. Good oral hygiene at home is essential. Twice daily brushing with a soft toothbrush, following the gum margins, is recommended. Flossing daily or using interdental brushes is also recommended to make sure plaque in removed from between teeth. Regular professional cleans at the dentist are also recommended.
At the Melbourne Smile Clinic, your gum health is carefully assessed and monitored.
If mild gum disease (gingivitis) is detected, standard cleaning can be carried out. A thorough scaling of your teeth ensures that plaque and calculus are removed. Your level of oral hygiene is monitored and recommendations are given as to how to improve your home care. If the gum disease is not advanced, the frequency of professional cleaning can be every 6-12 months depending on the level of home hygiene.
In cases of periodontitis, the type of cleaning required is more extensive and would sometimes require local anaesthesia to be administered. This is known as periodontal debridement. Periodontitis requires long-term monitoring and maintenance to ensure that the disease is arrested. Periodontal debridement might be required at 3-4 monthly intervals initially if the disease is severe. Radiographs are sometimes necessary in order to assess the status and progress of periodontal disease. In very advanced cases, it might be preferable to refer to a periodontist who specialises in the treatment of severe gum disease. In addition, home care has to be assessed and monitored to make sure that the periodontal disease is kept under control.
Gum disease is further exacerbated by tobacco smoking, and poorly controlled diabetes.
It is recommended you speak to you GP to address these issues.
The answer is a definite YES.
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Receding gums arise when the gums shrink away and more of the tooth root surface becomes exposed. The primary cause of gum recession is inflammation (gingivitis) caused by bacteria in plaque. Plaque is a film of food debris and bacteria and is not always visible to the naked eye. When plaque is deposited along the gum line, the bacteria in the plaque leads to inflammation of the gums. The plaque can also harder into calculus (also known as tartar). Calculus is a hard, sticky substance that cannot be brushed off and contributes to gum inflammation. Inflamed gums tend to bleed easily. If however this inflammation is chronic over a long period of time, the gums eventually recede and the condition is known as periodontitis. This might occur over a number of years and not be immediately noticeable.
However, once it has occurred, gum recession is irreversible and the lost tissue cannot be regrown. If the gum recession continues unabated, the teeth can loosen up and eventuall fall out.
Other less common causes of gum recession are:
To prevent gum recession, it is important to have good oral hygiene with the correct toothbrushing technique and daily flossing.
Regular professional cleans are also critical to prevent a high build-up of plaque and calculus.
Why do my gums bleed?
We often have patients reporting that their gums bleed during brushing or eating or even spontaneously, and this is often a cause of anxiety.
The most common cause of bleeding gums is gum disease. Gum disease means that the gum tissues are inflamed. This inflammation is most often caused by a deposit of plaque and calculus (soft and hard debris) , which act as an irritant, around the gum lines. Inflamed gums usually look red, swollen and bleed easily. The more severe the inflammation, the more severe the bleeding.
In the early stages of gum inflammation, this is known as gingivitis. Gingivitis is reversible. When the irritant is removed, the gums are able to recover and stop bleeding.
However, continuous inflammation over a long period of time can lead to irreversible changes where the gums recede. This more advanced state of disease is known as periodontitis. Periodontitis can lead to teeth becoming loose and eventually falling out. Periodontitis requires immediate professional treatment to stop its progression.
Inflamed gums that bleed easily can make other dental treatment more challenging. It is important that prior to more complex dental treatment such as cosmetic dentistry, orthodontics, implant placement, and even filllings, that the gums are as healthy as possible.
The best way to prevent gum disease is with good oral hygiene both by adequate tooth brushing and flossing as well as professional cleans on a regular basis.
While bleeding of the gums from gum disease is not life-threatening, it is indicative of chronic inflammation of the gums and we recommend that you seek advice from your dentist as soon as possible.
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School/Training
Dr Yew has over 20 years of experience in dentistry, graduating with Honours from the University of Melbourne in 2001.
Dr Yew is registered with AHPRA (the Australian Health Professional Regulation ...