Gingivitis: Causes, symptoms, and treatment - Medical News ...

Gingivitis often resolves with good oral hygiene, such as longer and more frequent brushing, and regular flossing. In addition, an antiseptic mouthwash may help ... CausesandtreatmentofgingivitisMedicallyreviewedbyJenniferArchibald,DDS—WrittenbyTimNewman—UpdatedonJanuary24,2022OverviewCausesSignsandsymptomsDiagnosisTreatmentPreventionComplicationsSummaryGingivitisisanoftenpainfulinflammationofthegums,orgingiva.Ittypicallyoccursduetoplaquebuildupontheteeth.Gingivitisisacommonconditionthataffectsmostadultsatsomepointintheirlife.Itisaformofgumdiseasethattypicallycausesmildsymptoms.However,itcanprogressintoamoresevereconditionifapersondoesnottreatitsrootcause.Keypointsaboutgingivitisinclude:Bacterialbuilduparoundtheteethisthemostcommoncauseofgingivitis.Themainsymptomofgingivitisisred,puffygumsthatmaybleedwhenapersonbrushestheirteeth.Gingivitisoftenresolveswithgoodoralhygiene,suchaslongerandmorefrequentbrushing,andregularflossing.Inaddition,anantisepticmouthwashmayhelp.Thisarticledetailsthetypes,causes,andsymptomsofgingivitis.Italsodiscusseswhatapersoncandototreatandpreventgingivitis.GingivitisoverviewShareonPinterestMaldeOjoStudio/StocksyGingivitisisanon-destructivetypeofperiodontaldisease.Peoplemaygenerallyrefertothisasgumdisease.Gingivitisisanearlyformofgumdiseaseandtypicallyproducesmildsymptoms.Therearetwomaintypesofgingivitis.Dentalplaque-inducedgingivitisoccurswhenplaquebuildupirritatesaperson’sgums,resultingininflammation,discoloration,andpain.Incontrast,non-plaque-inducedgingivallesionscanresultfromabacterial,viral,orfungalinfection.Allergicreactions,illnesses,andreactionstoforeignbodies,suchasdentures,mayalsocausethistypeofgingivitis.Bothtypesofgingivitiscanprogresstoperiodontitisifapersondoesnottreatitadequately.Periodontitisisamoresevereconditionandcanleadtofurthercomplications,suchaslossofteeth.CausesThemostcommoncauseofgingivitisistheaccumulationofbacterialplaquebetweenandaroundtheteeth.Dentalplaqueisabiofilmthataccumulatesnaturallyontheteeth.Itoccurswhenbacteriaattachtothesmoothsurfaceofatooth.Thisplaquecanhardenintocalculus,ortartar,nearthegumsatthebaseoftheteeth.Thishasayellow-whitecolor.Onlydentalprofessionalscanremovecalculus.Buildupofplaqueandtartarcantriggerimmuneresponsesthatleadtogingivalorgumtissuedestruction.Eventually,itmayleadtofurthercomplications,includingthelossofteeth.Learnmoreaboutthedifferencesbetweenplaqueandtartarhere.OthercausesandriskfactorsSeveralunderlyingconditionsandoutsidefactorscanincreaseplaqueformationoraperson’sriskofguminflammation.Changesinhormones:Thismayoccurduringpuberty,menopause,themenstrualcycle,andpregnancy.Thegumsmightbecomemoresensitive,raisingtheriskofinflammation.Somediseases:Cancer,diabetes,andHIVarelinkedtoahigherriskofgingivitis.Drugs:Medicationsthatreducesalivaproductioncanimpactaperson’soralhealth.Dilantin,anepilepsymedication,andanginadrugscanalsocauseabnormalgrowthofgumtissue,increasingtheriskofinflammation.Smoking:Regularsmokersmorecommonlydevelopgingivitisthannon-smokers.Age:Theriskofgingivitisincreaseswithage.Familyhistory:Thosewhoseparentorparentshavehadgingivitishaveahigherriskofdevelopingittoo.SignsandsymptomsShareonPinterestAlgirdasGelazius/ShutterstockThesignsandsymptomsofgingivitismightinclude:guminflammationanddiscolorationtendergumsthatmaybepainfultothetouchbleedingfromthegumswhenbrushingorflossinghalitosis,orbadbreathrecedinggumssoftgumsHowever,inmildcasesofgingivitis,theremaybenodiscomfortornoticeablesymptoms.DiagnosisAdentistororalhygienistwillcheckforsymptoms,suchasplaqueandtartarintheoralcavity.Theymayalsoorderteststocheckforsignsofperiodontitis.ThiscanbedonebyX-rayorperiodontalprobing,usinganinstrumentthatmeasurespocketdepthsaroundatooth.TreatmentIfdiagnosishappensearlyandtreatmentispromptandproper,apersonmaybeabletotreatgingivitisathomewithgoodoralhygiene.Learnmoreabouthomeremediesforgingivitishere.However,ifsymptomsdonotresolve,ortheconditionaffectsaperson’squalityoflife,theymaywishtoseekprofessionalhelp.Treatmentofteninvolvescarebyadentalprofessionalandfollow-upprocedurescarriedoutbythepatientathome.ProfessionaldentalcareAdentalprofessionalmayinitiallycarryoutscaling.Thisissotheycanremoveexcessplaqueandtartar.Thiscanbeuncomfortable,especiallyifthetartarbuildupisextensiveorthegumsaresensitive.Oncetheyhavecleanedaperson’steeth,thedentalprofessionalwillexplaintheimportanceoforalhygieneandhowtobrushandflosseffectively.Theymayrecommendfollow-upappointmentstomonitoraperson’splaqueandtartar.Thiswillallowthedentalprofessionaltocatchandtreatanyrecurrencesquickly.Fixinganydamagedteethalsocontributestooralhygiene.Somedentalproblems,suchascrookedteeth,badlyfittedcrowns,orbridges,maymakeithardertoremoveplaqueandtartarproperly.Theycanalsoirritatethegums.PreventionApersonmaybeabletopreventgingivitisathomebypracticingregulargoodoralhygiene.Thisincludes:brushingteethatleasttwiceadayusinganelectrictoothbrushflossingteethatleastonceadayregularlyrinsingthemouthwithanantisepticmouthwashComplicationsTreatinggingivitisandfollowingthedentalhealthprofessional’sinstructionscantypicallypreventcomplications.However,gumdiseasecanspreadandaffecttissue,teeth,andbonesifleftuntreated.Complicationsinclude:abscessorinfectioninthegingivaorjawboneperiodontitis—amoreseriousconditionthatcanleadtolossofboneandteethrecurrentgingivitistrenchmouth,wherebacterialinfectionleadstoulcerationofthegumsSummaryGingivitisisacommontypeofgumdisease.Itistheresultofbacterialbuildupontheteeth.Thisbuildupirritatessurroundinggumtissueandcancausethegumstobecomeinflamed,discolored,andpainfultothetouch.Mostpeoplecantreatgingivitiswithregulargoodoralhygienepractices.Regulardentalcheckupscanhelptoidentifysignsofgumdiseaseandtreatthemingoodtime.LastmedicallyreviewedonJanuary24,2022Dentistry9sourcescollapsedMedicalNewsTodayhasstrictsourcingguidelinesanddrawsonlyfrompeer-reviewedstudies,academicresearchinstitutions,andmedicaljournalsandassociations.Weavoidusingtertiaryreferences.Welinkprimarysources—includingstudies,scientificreferences,andstatistics—withineacharticleandalsolistthemintheresourcessectionatthebottomofourarticles.Youcanlearnmoreabouthowweensureourcontentisaccurateandcurrentbyreadingoureditorialpolicy.Gingivitis.(n.d.).https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/g/gingivitisGumdisease.(2019).https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/gum-disease/Gumdisease:Prevention.(n.d.).https://www.efp.org/gum-diseases/gum-disease-prevention/Koh,R.U.,etal.(2015).Foreignbodygingivitis.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26281382Murakami,S.,etal.(2018).Dentalplaque-inducedgingivalconditions.https://aap.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/JPER.17-0095Naderi,N.J.,etal.(2015).Theimpactofsmokingongingiva:Ahistopathologicalstudy.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC4539769/Periodontal(gum)disease.(2018).https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/gum-diseasePreshaw,P.M.,etal.(2015).Detectionanddiagnosisofperiodontalconditionsamenabletoprevention.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC4580822/Scalingandrootplaning.(n.d.).https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/s/scaling-and-root-planingFEEDBACK:MedicallyreviewedbyJenniferArchibald,DDS—WrittenbyTimNewman—UpdatedonJanuary24,2022LatestnewsLessthanhalfoftransgenderpeoplefeelsupportedbyfamilydoctorCOPDinnumbers:Howmanypeoplehaveit,who'smoreatrisk?Doanti-inflammatorydietsreallywork?HowdoOmicron-targetedvaccinescomparetotheoriginalones?COVID-19:BrainareaslinkedtosmellmayshrinkafterinfectioninsomeRelatedCoverageWhyismytoothloose,andhowdoItreatit?MedicallyreviewedbyJenniferArchibald,DDSLosingteethisaregularpartofgrowingup.Inadults,however,looseteethmaybeacauseforconcern.Learnaboutpreventingdamage,treatments…READMOREEverythingyouneedtoknowaboutdrymouthMedicallyreviewedbyUniversityofIllinoisAdrymouthoccurswhenapersondoesnotproduceenoughsaliva.Itcanleadtospeechandeatingdifficulties,halitosis,dentalcavities,and…READMOREWhatcausespalegums?MedicallyreviewedbyElaineK.Luo,M.D.Thegumscanturnpaleforseveralreasons.Palegumsaroundtheteethmayindicateanemia,whichisoftencausedbyalackofiron,folate,or…READMORECaringforteethandgumsMedicallyreviewedbyChristineFrank,DDSWhatisthesecrettoteethandgumcare?Correctbrushingandflossing,knowingwhichfoodsanddrinkstoeatandtoavoid,andattendingregular…READMOREWhattodoaboutbrownspotsonyourteethMedicallyreviewedbyChristineFrank,DDSBrownspotscanformanywhereontheteeth,includingbetweenteethoronthetoothsurface.Thesebrownoryellowishstainscanresultfromdental…READMORE