Causes and Symptoms of Gum Disease
Gum disease affects millions of people worldwide causing them to experience bleeding gums, bad breath, and in severe cases, loose teeth. It is often caused by poor oral hygiene, which allows plaque and bacteria to build up in the mouth and lead to an infection. There are also other factors that lead to gum problems like hormonal changes and even hereditary disease. While the best way to handle this is with regular brushing and flossing, regular visits to your South Carolina dentist will also help as he could detect the disease as it develops and provide immediate treatment to prevent it from spreading further.
Gum disease may start with very few warning signs as you won’t even feel any pain until it reaches a certain stage. Things to watch out for include:
• A persistent bad breath
• Gums that bleed easily, especially after brushing your teeth
• Tender or swollen gums
• Receding gum line
• Deep pockets in between your gums and teeth
• Loose teeth
• Changes in your bite
• Loose or ill-fitting dentures
It’s important to watch out for these signs, so that you may immediately head to your dentist and have your gums treated. While regular brushing and flossing will keep plaque at bay and prevent gum disease from occurring, there are other factors that could trigger the disease including:
• Hormonal changes during puberty, pregnancy, and menopause
• Illnesses that affect your immune system such as cancer and diabetes
• Medications that cause your mouth to dry up
• Bad habit such as smoking and chewing tobacco, which could damage your gums
• A family history of gum disease
Your South Carolina dentist will treat gum disease by cleaning your teeth, gums, and mouth, to make sure that plaque is kept at a minimum. For more serious cases, your dentist may recommend that you undergo gum cleaning in order to remove bacteria under the gums.
To learn more about gum disease, get in touch with Dr. Doug Forbes by visiting him at Total Dental Care of South Carolina today. You may set an appointment by filling out the online form or simply call us at 803-272-4162.
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