Gums (or gingivae) are soft tissues in the upper and lower jaws that surround the base of teeth, holding them in place. Like teeth, gums are essential as they protect the part of the jawbone that supports them. However, people often focus on tooth health and easily overlook gum health. Gum disease is usually painless and goes unnoticed, despite being a common oral health issue. Read on to understand gum disease's causes, symptoms, and treatment.
What is Gum Disease?
Before we discuss gum problems, it is worth knowing what healthy gums should look like. Studies describe them as firm to the touch and snugly fitting around the teeth. The Indian Dental Association indicates they are healthy in colour, lack swelling or redness, and do not bleed with pus. Gum disease, or periodontal disease, is an infection of the tissues surrounding the teeth and holding them in place.
Gum infection or gum disease is often a result of poor oral hygiene and may vary in severity or stages. The mild form, or the early stage, known as gingivitis, is characterised by inflammation of the gums, redness, tenderness, and bleeding when you brush or floss. Left untreated, it progresses as periodontitis, causing the gums to recede and affecting the supporting bone. Timely detection and treatment can prevent potential implications.
What Causes Gum Disease?
Plaque build-up due to poor oral hygiene and the overgrowth of bacteria are the main culprits behind gum disease. Dental plaque, a sticky film of bacteria and food debris, deposits on teeth and the gum line. If not removed through brushing and flossing, it hardens into tartar and irritates the gums. Gum disease causes swelling, bleeding, and pockets between the teeth and gums, where bacteria thrive.
Left unchecked, the infection worsens, damaging the bone and tissue supporting your teeth and potentially leading to tooth loss. Research cites several other risk factors for the development of gum diseases. They include smoking, genetics, pregnancy, hormonal changes, menopause, diabetes, and some systemic diseases and medications.
What Are The Symptoms of Gum Disease?
Although gum disease symptoms are often difficult to spot and pain is not one of them, there are certain warning signs that you may look out for. They include:
Swollen, Red Gums
Swollen gums are a notable indication of gum disease. They look puffy or enlarged and may include multiple triangle-shaped parts between the teeth, known as papillae. As bacteria in the uncleaned plaque along the gum line irritate the gums, they turn red from light pink. Gum swelling occurs due to the accumulation of fluids and white blood cells that react to this irritation and inflammation.
Gums That Bleed Easily
Left untreated, the red, inflamed gums can turn tender and bleed easily while brushing and flossing. Bleeding gums sometimes indicate canker sores or mouth ulcers that occur for a different reason. However, in most cases, gums that bleed during and after brushing teeth indicate gingivitis and accompany other symptoms such as sore gums and deeper pockets.
Constant Bad Breath
Chronic bad breath, also called halitosis, is another symptom of gum disease. Research shows that intraoral conditions, such as periodontal infections, commonly cause oral malodor in individuals. Gum infections are characterised by a tremendous growth of bacteria that release volatile sulphur compounds, causing bad breath that does not go away by brushing.
Gums That Have Pulled Away (Recession) From The Teeth
Receding gums or gums that have pulled away from the teeth can indicate periodontal disease. Gum recession occurs when the uncleaned plaque along the gum line irritates and inflames the gums. As it intensifies, it creates wedges between the teeth and the gums. The bacteria in the plaque produce waste that erodes the gum tissues, giving them a recessed appearance and making the teeth look longer than usual.
Pus in Between The Teeth
If untreated, gum infections caused by unclean plaque and tartar deposits along the gum line progress to periodontitis. The infection creates pockets around the teeth filled with bacteria and debris, causing a periodontal abscess. The body's immune system responds to the infection, causing pus formation. As the gums recede and tooth roots get exposed, bacterial waste erodes the bone, further deepening and widening the pockets and letting more pus accumulate.
Changes in Bite
Periodontal disease often changes the way teeth fit together as you bite. Healthy teeth and jawbones are essential to maintaining a proper bite. Untreated gum disease progresses to damage the tissues that support the teeth, weaken the jawbone, and loosen the teeth. This loosening allows teeth to shift out of position slightly, disturbing your bite.
Loose Permanent Teeth
As it progresses, gum disease loosens the permanent teeth by damaging the gums and eroding the jawbone. While healthy gums snugly fit around the teeth, holding them in place, infected gums have a weaker grip. As the infected gums recede, they create pockets that fuel bacterial growth and infection.
The bacteria in the pockets produce acids that erode the jawbone surrounding the teeth. The combined effect of gum recession and bone loss loosens the teeth and makes them unstable, eventually leading to tooth loss.
Gum Disease Treatment
Gum disease treatments intend to reduce gum swelling, stop the infection from spreading, and help the gums reattach to the teeth. Your dentist will determine the treatment based on various factors, such as your gum disease's severity and specific health conditions. Accordingly, the treatment methods may be non-surgical or surgical.
Non-surgical treatments: For earlier stages of gum disease, your dentist may suggest non-surgical periodontal therapy involving scaling and root planing to keep your gums healthy and firm. In scaling, the plaque and tartar deposits are removed from the surface of the teeth and along the gum line.
Root planing smooths out the roughened surface of the tooth root and top layer of the inner tooth structure, helping gums reattach to the teeth and making it harder for bacteria and plaque to collect again. Dentists may also suggest using antibacterial mouthwashes, gels, and antibiotic pills to eliminate the bacteria responsible for the infection.
Surgical treatments: A dentist or periodontist may suggest surgical procedures for advanced gum disease (periodontitis) that has led to bone and gum tissue loss. These procedures clear out deep pockets of infection and tartar buildup around teeth and below the gum line. They may involve lifting gum tissue to access the roots for cleaning and smoothing, sometimes accompanied by tissue grafts, bone grafting, or gum grafting to facilitate healing and long-term tooth stability.
How to Prevent Gum Disease?
Effective plaque control with proper and consistent dental hygiene helps prevent gum disease and reverse gingivitis. It includes:
- Brushing: Brush your teeth twice daily with a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste to remove plaque on the teeth' surface. You may replace the toothbrush every three months or sooner if the bristles get frayed. For instance, consider using the Colgate Total Advanced Health toothpaste with the Dual Zinc and Arginine formula to protect your teeth, gums, cheeks, and tongue from harmful bacteria for 12 hours.
