If you’ve been wondering why your gums have started bleeding recently then don’t worry. In today’s post we’re going to take a closer look at what causes this and why it’s really important that you get it addressed with your dentist Stevenage as soon as possible.
Gum disease
You might know a little about gum disease or you might know nothing at all, but either way this is going to be worth a few minutes of your time.
Gum disease is what happens when plaque and tartar are left to build up around the gums and between the teeth. It’s most likely to be spotted at the bottom of the back teeth, but it even gets underneath the gums so could be causing issues even if you can’t see it.
The problem with tartar and plaque is that they give off nasty acids into the mouth and this upsets the natural PH balance. In order to address this, the body sends out lots of different signals trying to get the problem sorted, the only issue with this being that they can then end up becoming infected.
The body’s reaction turns into gum disease, although technically the body is trying to solve the problem it actually ends up making it worse and can result in tooth loss.
Symptoms of gum disease
The symptoms of gum disease are pretty obvious in that your gums will swell, redden and even bleed and it’s highly likely your breath will become tainted with a constant bad smell and you might have a funny metallic taste in your mouth.
What can be done?
There’s no need to worry as if caught early gum disease can be addressed very quickly and with not too much involvement from professionals.
First off if you are experiencing any of the symptoms discussed you need to get yourself down to the dentist so they can give you a full examination and assess exactly what’s going on. If they then decide it is gum disease they’ll point you in the direction of the hygienist.
What’s a hygienist?
A hygienist is a specific type of dental practitioner who purely focuses on the health and wellbeing of patients’ oral hygiene and gums. They are trained to perform a series of specific procedures which are aimed at fixing gum disease and replenishing lost enamel.
The hygienist will assess your gum disease, and from there decide on the best course of action. In most cases they will perform a scale and polish (a deep clean), have an in depth discussion with you on your current oral hygiene routine and see you again in six months or so.
Oral hygiene
Oral hygiene is really important as it’s what stops us from developing problems like gum disease. Within dentistry it’s very much thought that prevention is better than cure and that patients should be doing all they can at home in order to make sure their teeth remain healthy all year round.
To get a better understanding of what good oral hygiene looks like head over to the NHS website.
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