Red, swollen, painful, easily bleeding and accompanied by bad breath is a sign that your baby is suffering from gingivitis. The cause of gingivitis is bacteria in plaque or tartar that stays in the mouth for a long time. Some notes below will help parents in treating and preventing gingivitis.
What process does gingivitis take?
Gingivitis is an inflammatory disease that occurs in the gums and roots of teeth. The main cause of gingivitis is improper oral hygiene such as using a toothbrush with too hard bristles, using toothpicks, etc. Due to not cleaning plaque from teeth, the level of gingivitis becomes more severe.
Gingivitis, if left untreated, will cause dangerous complications. Long-term inflammation will spread to muscle and bone tissue (periodontal disease), even causing the risk of tooth loss. Besides, poor oral health also greatly affects overall health.
Patients with diabetes often have dental problems and infections. On the contrary, bacterial infections and gingivitis also make it more difficult for the body to control blood sugar levels.
Common stages of gingivitis:
- In the stage of localized gingivitis: Signs of gums being swollen, red and easily painful and bleeding upon impact. The stage of gingivitis also makes your daily eating difficult. Sharp pain and discomfort when you eat or drink is not a pleasant feeling.
- In the periodontal inflammation stage: At this time, our gums easily become inflamed, red, and bleed suddenly, causing pain. Especially after brushing your teeth or flossing with a toothpick, the tooth root or toothpick tip often has blood. If you often see blood appearing in the gum area, you should see a dentist for diagnosis and treatment measures.
Over time, the gums will recede to the exposed tooth roots, looking very bad. The more severe the disease, the deeper these holes become, the more severely the gums and jawbone are destroyed, the teeth no longer have a place to attach, they will become loose and eventually fall out.
Signs of gingivitis
Gingivitis in the early stages often has no obvious symptoms, below are the basic signs that people with gingivitis often encounter:
- Swollen gums: A condition in which the gums are swollen and painful to the touch. When eating, touching the gums causes pain and discomfort.
- Gums change color: gums gradually change from light pink to dark red
- Gums that bleed easily: just a light touch such as brushing your teeth, flossing with a toothpick,… and bleeding gums is also a sign of this disease.
- Appearance of plaque (tartar): this plaque is deposited by harmful bacteria, food particles, etc., often sticking to the neck of the teeth, under the gums and between the teeth. This causes gingivitis.
- Teeth are easily loose: when gingivitis persists, the gums at the patient’s tooth base weaken, the protective function of the gums also gradually disappears, causing the teeth to fall or become loose.
- Unpleasant breath odor
- Gingival recession.
Should anti-inflammatory drugs be used when gingivitis occurs?
Usually, when you have mild signs of gingivitis. You also don’t necessarily have to take medicine. To overcome gingivitis at this stage by practicing good oral hygiene and changing a healthy eating lifestyle. If gingivitis is mild, it will go away on its own. However, we should not neglect oral protection.
In addition, in cases of severe gingivitis, due to infected teeth. Doctors will often prescribe antibiotics in cases of severe gingivitis to reduce the swelling caused by bacteria. Some antibiotics are prescribed for gingivitis cases such as: Tetracycline, Amoxicillin, Metronidazole and Azithromycin. The dosage and drinking time of each type is different, against many different strains of bacteria.
When you have gingivitis in your mouth. The first thing you should do is monitor your dental condition. Next, go to a reputable dental clinic to check your oral health. However, you should not arbitrarily buy anti-inflammatory drugs when gingivitis occurs to avoid affecting your health later.
Fastest way to treat gingivitis at home
By natural methods
- Use salt water: Using salt water to clean your teeth is one of the easy ways to treat gingivitis. You can mix a little salt in a cup of warm water and gargle 3 times a day to remove plaque and plaque, reduce inflammation and swelling.
- Rinse your mouth with coconut oil: Coconut oil has the effect of whitening teeth, freshening breath, and reducing stress. Gargle with coconut oil which contains la acidUric helps increase anti-inflammatory and antibacterial abilities.
- Use honey: Honey has antibacterial properties. You can mix a little honey with warm water or lemon juice. Then, apply the mixture to the swollen gum area and do it every day!
Weakness is due to tartar. Daily brushing actually cannot remove 100% of food debris. Over time, the debris will accumulate and form plaque, which then produces tartar.
Therefore, treating gingivitis at home simply helps you limit the symptoms of swelling and pain and cannot cure it completely. Therefore, the best way when you have dental problems, especially swollen and red gums, is to go to the hospital for examination and thorough treatment.
Through the article, we hope you understand the cause of gingivitis and provide treatment appropriate to your current oral health. Note, My Auris Dentistry’s article is for reference only and cannot be a substitute for dental diagnosis or treatment.
Kim Dung
