Taking care of your oral health is about more than just taking care of your teeth – it’s about looking after your entire mouth, from your teeth, to your jaw and tongue, and as the title suggests, your gums.
You can’t overlook the importance of having healthy gums, a crucial part of maintaining good oral health.
Problems with your gums aren’t just isolated there, either. In many cases, they can spread, affecting other parts of your mouth including your teeth.
This is why we suggest booking an appointment with our dentist in South Yarra the moment you notice issues with your gums, and ask about your gum health the next time you turn up for your regular dental check-up.
Why do my gums swell and bleed?
Ever experienced pain in your gums? Noticed that your gums look inflamed or start bleeding after eating, brushing and flossing?
Take our word for it, red, swollen, and painful gums should not be happening, and can indicate a range of different gum issues, as well as being a precursor to more severe oral health problems.
Oftentimes, this is the result of plaque build-up. Plaque builds, mostly becoming crusty and hard (this is now called calculus or tartar) and these deposits can irritate your gums and often cause inflammation or gingivitis, resulting in the tell-tale swelling and bleeding.
This can spread further, affecting deeper gum tissue. When this happens, your gums may recede a little or a lot. Further, the bony attachment to the teeth may become damaged and reduced, resulting in your teeth becoming less stable or loose. This may lead to tooth loss. This is called Periodontitis.
While minor cases of swelling may not require the attention of an emergency dentist in South Yarra, you’ll still want to keep a close eye on the issue.
If you notice the following however, we suggest calling your emergency dentist now:
- Your gums bleeding a little or a lot during and after brushing or flossing
- You have bad taste in your mouth or suffer from bad breath
- You feel a sudden change in the fit of your teeth when biting
- You have receding gums
- You experience heightened tooth sensitivity, especially to hot, cold, or sweet stimuli
What are swollen gums a sign of?
Swollen and inflamed gums don’t just pop up out of nowhere – there’s always a reason.
It is easy to ignore gum problems with the false hope that the issue will go away in time. However, early detection of gum diseases can save you from further pain and the other, more serious oral health conditions that can arise if you don’t deal with it early.
So, what can lead to unhealthy gums, and how can you show TLC to your gums (and prevent gum issues from returning?)
Malnutrition or poor diet
Vitamin and nutrition deficiency, especially that of Vitamin C and B, can cause issues with your gums, including bleeding and swelling. These vitamins are essential in keeping your gums (and teeth, for that matter) healthy and strong.
If you aren’t getting enough of these vitamins, you might notice the effects starting to reflect in your gums – luckily, this is pretty easy to reverse by assessing and improving your diet!
Infection
Bacterial infection between your teeth and gums is one of the leading causes behind bleeding, swollen and infected gums.
How do you know if you have an infection in your gums?
These issues can be difficult to spot. If you see pus or abscesses in your gums, that is often a sign of a bacterial infection, however, gum disease can be insidious and can “creep up” slowly. Also be sure to keep an eye out for persistent bad taste and breath, both of which can reveal that something is wrong in your gums.
Hormonal changes
Changes in hormones can increase the blood flow in your gums, causing swelling and inflammation, leaving your gums feeling irritated and swollen. These hormonal changes can happen to anyone, though pregnant women are especially prone to this issue.
Such hormonal changes can make your body susceptible to bacteria and gum infections, thus increasing your chance to develop gingivitis and other periodontal diseases.
Other serious diseases
Swollen and developing gum infections can influence and worsen other issues with your body:
- Diabetes
- Cardiovascular conditions
- Stroke
- Respiratory infections
- Dementia, Alzheimers
These health conditions can be complicated by problems with your oral health, particularly Periodontal Disease!
How do you relieve inflamed gums?
Practice good oral health habits
It’s back to basics with this particular treatment!
Regular brushing 2 times a day and some sort of “in-between” cleaning (perhaps flossing or pixtering) are the simplest and most straightforward way of eliminating bacteria and plaque build-up.
Just make sure you brush your teeth and gums gently, and use a soft-bristled brush so your gums won\’t get hurt in the process.
However, this may be inadequate on its own. Dental treatment will most likely be needed before the benefits of good oral hygiene can take effect.
Stop smoking
Smokers are six times more likely to acquire gum and periodontal diseases compared to non-smokers.
As such, kicking the habit can automatically lower your risk of gum disease!
Not only is it better for your gums, but it’s also better for your overall oral health and your wellbeing in general.
Take over-the-counter painkillers
If gum pain and gum swelling are hindering you from your daily activities it may be best to take over-the-counter pain relievers for temporary relief and comfort.
In some instances taking antibiotics under the dentist’s directions may be of great benefit as well.
Will a gum infection go away on its own?
Follow the above advice, and you dramatically lower the risk of an infection.
Not all gum infections are the same, however. To better understand the best dental treatment for your particular case, you’ll need to visit a dental clinic in Armadale as soon as possible.
Our family dental clinic in Armadale can further explain the causes of your gum problems – moreover, they can help prescribe a treatment to solve the issue of inflamed or sore gums .
Looking for the best solution for your gum problems?
Call Dental Care Group today!
Dental Care Group is committed to providing Armadale dentistry, dental treatments and services that can’t be beaten.
And it isn’t just limited to your teeth, either – our team can look after all aspects of your oral health and hygiene – and that includes your gums.
We understand that each case is unique, and that there’s no such thing as one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to oral health. That’s why we endeavour to provide unique treatment for your specific case.
Call us today on (03) 9509 1500 or book an appointment with our emergency dentist the moment you start noticing the early signs of inflamed, infected, or irritated gums.
