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Children who are still learning oral hygiene, it’s time to frighten not with caries, but with gingivitis. Even finding that the gums are bleeding, few rush to the doctor. But now the gums no longer hurt, there is no blood during cleaning, so everything is fine? Alas, the disease is insidious! What is the catch and why is it necessary to visit not only a dentist-therapist, but also a periodontist?
What is gingivitis
Gingivitis is an inflammation of the gums that affects only the soft tissue around the tooth, without affecting the bone structure. The main cause of the disease are pathogenic microbes living in soft plaque and tartar.
What you need to know about gingivitis
| Who gets sick more often | children, teenagers, young people under 30 |
| Symptoms | bleeding gums, swelling, bad breath |
| How is it different from periodontitis | with gingivitis, only the gums are affected, with periodontitis, all the tissues surrounding the tooth |
| Treatment | antimicrobials, antifungals, antibiotics |
Symptoms of gingivitis in adults
– We can safely say that every person at least once in his life noticed blood while brushing his teeth. WHO statistics (World Health Organization) confirm this with figures: 95% of the world’s population have signs of gum disease, says periodontist, surgeon-dentist Svetlana Koganova. These diseases begin with gingivitis.
Who can confidently say that they brush their teeth to a shine, without leaving even half a millimeter of plaque? And who regularly goes to dentistry for professional oral hygiene? Surely, the percentage of such responsible citizens is small. Here, in fact, lies the root of the problem.
What are the most eloquent symptoms of gingivitis in adults?
– In most cases, the presence of the disease is evidenced by regular bleeding of the gums during brushing. Healthy gums don’t behave like this! – emphasizes Svetlana Koganova.
Other symptoms of gingivitis in adults can also be seen visually:
- redness of the gum line around the teeth,
- swelling and enlargement of the gums in the interdental area,
- soreness of the mucosa while eating or brushing your teeth,
- halitosis – bad breath.
Diagnostics
An accurate diagnosis, of course, can only be made by a doctor. But it is very important not to miss the moment and contact a specialist in a timely manner.
So, according to our expert, bleeding = gingivitis.
“This is the first and most important SOS signal that cannot be ignored,” says Dr. Koganova. – Why not? Over time, bleeding decreases or completely disappears, but the problem does not disappear: gingivitis from the acute phase becomes chronic, and the inflammation process descends under the gum into the bone tissue. Thus, gingivitis gradually turns into periodontitis, which leads to the destruction of the bone tissue around the teeth and their loss. Loss of teeth with the strongest enamel, without a single caries!
That is why, as soon as the gums began to bleed, and the process was not limited to a one-time occurrence, pick up the phone and make an appointment with the dentist.
What gingivitis looks like in adults can be understood from the photo below.
Treatment of gingivitis in adults
First of all, as with any treatment, you need to eliminate the cause of the disease. As we remember, microbes cause this disease, so the treatment of gingivitis in adults begins with professional oral hygiene: the doctor will remove all bacterial plaque and tartar. What’s next?
– This is followed by local anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial therapy, – says Svetlana Koganova. – The dentist selects dosage forms and ready-made pharmaceutical products, taking into account the type of gingivitis. The most effective are rinses based on antiseptics, multi-component gels and balms for gums, which reduce inflammation, anesthetize and have a decongestant effect.
Topical preparations are used to treat gingivitis at home.
Sometimes even surgery is required! Don’t worry, you won’t have to go to the operating room on a gurney under anesthesia, and you don’t need to cut anything.
Gingivectomy is a minimally invasive laser surgery for overgrowth of gums. According to our expert, this is a bloodless and painless operation to remove excess tissue.
Prevention of gingivitis in adults at home
“The theater begins with a hanger, and gum health begins with prevention,” says Dr. Koganova. – A visit to a periodontist must necessarily end with an individual selection of home hygiene products and training in proper brushing of teeth. Preventing gingivitis is easy! It is enough to brush your teeth for 2 minutes 2 times a day (after breakfast and before going to bed), clean all interdental spaces with floss, interdental brush or irrigator, use a suitable toothpaste. Once every six months, it is necessary to undergo a preventive examination and professional oral hygiene. Prevention is always more pleasant and cheaper.
Well, let’s say most of us brush our teeth twice a day. But many in a cup near the sink have an ordinary toothbrush from a supermarket, at best, bought in a specialized store. Let’s get familiar with the terms.
Floss is just regular dental floss. No matter how cool the brush is, it will never reach all the hard-to-reach places – unlike a good floss. And floss can be used during the day after lunch and snacks, when there is no brush at hand.
An interdental brush looks like an ordinary household brush – but reduced tenfold. It also helps to remove food debris from the spaces between the teeth and promotes better oral hygiene.
For the same purpose, an irrigator serves, but here the consequences of dinner are already eliminated not with the help of bristles, but under the pressure of water.
A specialist will help you choose the device that is most suitable for you.
Popular questions and answers
Answers to popular questions about gingivitis periodontist, surgeon-dentist Svetlana Koganova.
What categories of the population are most susceptible to the disease?
● Gingivitis loves younger people. Most often, such a problem is faced by young patients from 15 to 40 years old. And in the age category 40+, periodontitis is in the lead – as a result of untimely treatment of inflammation. Heavy smokers, pregnant women, people with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, people with chronic sinusitis and ENT pathologies are also at risk.
Next, point by point:
● Why is smoking dangerous? It masks the signs of gum disease, as nicotine restricts blood flow to the gums. In smokers, gingivitis can be complicated by periodontitis almost asymptomatically and imperceptibly.
● During pregnancy, the likelihood of gingivitis increases due to a serious change in hormonal levels that affect the level of acidity in the mouth, salivation, absorption of vitamins and minerals. If these processes are disturbed, the number of pathogenic bacteria increases sharply, the concentration of acids increases, and inflammation of the gums actively develops. Therefore, during pregnancy, professional oral hygiene is indicated as a prevention of gingivitis.
● Uncontrolled diabetes aggravates the negative influence of microbes and complicates gum disease with secondary infection and acute abscesses (purulent lesions – approx. Auth.) of the gums.
● How did patients of otolaryngologists end up in the risk group? Often, chronic diseases of the upper respiratory tract are accompanied by forced breathing through the mouth. As a result, the oral mucosa dries up, bacterial soft plaque forms faster, saliva becomes more viscous and cannot cope with its protective and cleansing function.
Is it possible to self-medicate?
What is the risk of not properly treating gingivitis in adults?
What can be confused with gingivitis?
An experienced doctor can easily differentiate these diseases among themselves. It is also very important to distinguish the true simple gingivitis from the symptom of leukemia in time. Since the gums with blood diseases can show swelling, pain, bleeding – as with gingivitis. It is distinguished only by a specific infiltrate and an altered appearance of the gingival papillae. Often, dentists are the first to notice this alarming symptom and refer the patient to a hematologist.