The Toothache That Changed My Life

If your dentist tells you that you are displaying signs of gingivitis, you have a chance to work at better oral hygiene skills to turn it around before it gets worse. Gingivitis will cause your gums to deteriorate, eventually leading to gum disease if it is not combated early enough. When you have gum disease, or periodontitis, you are at risk for losing your teeth altogether. Rather than getting to this stage, do the following steps to eradicate gingivitis, diminishing the chances of gum disease from occurring as a result.

Know The Symptoms

To reverse gingivitis, it helps to be aware of the symptoms you will have if you are suffering from this condition so you can keep tabs on the progress in making them go away. You may notice your teeth appear a bit elongated than they had in the past because your gums are receding. Your gums might be red, swollen, or puffy looking, with or without pain. Gums may bleed more than usual, even when you are not flossing or brushing. As you work at improving oral hygiene or having your dentist do scalings, you will notice your gums will toughen up and look as they had before gingivitis set in.

Increase Your Oral Care

The most important step in ridding your gums of gingivitis is to do proper oral hygiene steps to help keep bacteria from getting underneath them. When plaque buildup becomes embedded under the gums, it will harden over the tooth, turning into tartar, making it difficult to remove without the assistance of a dentist or periodontist. To stop plaque and tartar from ruining your gums and teeth, make sure you brush your teeth at least twice every day and take the time to floss, removing particles that contain bacteria from between your teeth. Rinse with mouthwash to kill bacteria and see your dentist regularly. Taking these steps can make gingivitis stop if it is in beginning stages.

See A Professional

If your dentist indicated you already have tartar buildup under your gums, you will want to have a scaling procedure done in the office to remove this material. The dentist or periodontist will use special tools to scrape the tartar and plaque from under your gums. This is a little uncomfortable, but it will save your gums from continuing to wear from the bacteria underneath. After you have this procedure done, keeping up with regular oral hygiene should keep gingivitis at bay. For more information, contact Cumberland Periodontal Associate.