Dental hygiene is important for overall health. Doctors have been saying this for years, because the mouth is the gateway to the body. One of the diseases that can strike as the result of poor dental hygiene is gum disease. This is a very irritating disease to have in your mouth, and can be hard to treat once contracted. So what is it that causes gum disease? There are actually several different factors, but there are also many treatments and ways to prevent gum disease.
Gum disease is a condition that causes inflamed gums, rotting them slowly away, and, if left untreated, then it can destroy the whole structure of the mouth and jaw. Gingivitis is actually a gum infection. Early stages will appear as swollen, red, sensitive teeth and gums, and it can progress rapidly from there. Once gum disease is contracted, it can become a chronic problem for some people. In later stages of gum disease, a puss-like discharge can appear on the gums. The causes of gum disease can vary. The number one cause is poor dental hygiene. What happens in this case is that plaque builds up from infrequent brushing, and in time, turns into tartar. The tartar is an irritant to the gums, which then causes the swelling and irritation. Smokers are at least twice as likely to get some kind of gum disease. Teenagers, pregnant women and women in menopause are at a higher risk as well. There are many other conditions that can contribute to gum disease, such as high exposure to metals, radiation, poorly fitted fillings, and others.
Gum disease actually has many forms of treatment. What causes gum disease in the first place is the determining factor in which treatment method the dentist chooses. There are a lot of vitamins and minerals that can help in treating gum disease, including copper, vitamin A, vitamin E, zinc and folic acid. These help to keep the gums in order. Sometimes it is recommended that people drink warm lemon water to prevent gum disease. There are a lot of herbal treatments that are also in use, such as a liver cleanse, brushing with baking soda or placing aloe vera on the sensitive gums. A dentist can also prescribe ointments to use. For really bad cases, sometime a dentist will perform surgery on the gums.
No one really wants to get gum disease. It is actually pretty easy to prevent through regular brushing and flossing. This will ensure that you have healthy gums and teeth. Smokers have to be extra careful about preventing gum disease because they are at a higher risk. What causes gum disease can be anything from lack of brushing to an infection caught somewhere. Even so, there are a lot of treatments for gum disease, so there is no real reason to worry.
By Oral Care Editor
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