Swollen, Bleeding & Sore Gums: Causes & Pain Relieve
Have you ever seen blood coming out from the gums or experienced inflamed gums or felt pain and soreness in the gums? All of these are scary situations and sometimes people do not pay the right attention to gum care and only think about cavities diseases when you think about your mouth and your teeth but gum disease is a very concerning issue, gums play an important role in your dental health.
Sign of gum disease. What’s causing them?
Most of the time if you have swollen, bleeding or painful gums, this could be a sign that you have a gum disease. There are many causes that can lead to gum disease.
Brushing the teeth: First thing to considerate is the way you brush your teeth. Sometimes in order to keep your teeth clean people tend to brush them very abruptly, but you have to keep in mind that gums are very sensitive because they are made of delicate issue, if you brush them aggressively this can cause gum swelling, pain or even bleeding.
There are many options to keep your teeth and gums clean that cannot harm your guns, whether you purchase a manual or an electrical tooth brush, choose one that has soft nylon bristels.
Some tooth brushes that have medium or hard bristels can cause damage to your gums and result in swollen and painful gums. It is recommended when you are brushing your teeth to use a circular motion, this is more like a massage therapy to your teeth and gums; on the contrary at what most people do when they brush their teeth is that they tend to use back and forth motion but this can lead in damaging the gums and generate swollen gums around the tooth.
Flossing: Flossing is another technique that is very important for the care of your teeth and gums. Flossing helps to remove plaque away from places your toothbrush cannot reach. It’s important when flossing to be gentle in order not to harm the gums.
Forms of gum diseases
Gingivits
A lot of people suffer from gum disease, there are different forms of gum disease. The less severe form is called gingivitis. For most people gingivitis is not painful, you may notice your gums are inflamed, or you have sore gums this could happen if you do not have a proper dental hygiene and bacteria forms plaque around your tooth, causing the gum to bleed or swell.
Some of the symptoms you can notice if you have gingivitis are swollen gum, red gum, puffy gums, gums that bleed after tooth brushing, persistent bad breath, formation of big pockets between the gums and the teeth.
With a proper oral hygiene the gingivitis can be reversed but if it is left untreated it can lead ultimately to losing a tooth!
Periodontitis
The more severe type of gum disease is periodontitis, this is the result of the evolution of the gingivitis, this means the disease was not controlled and it reached its next level. This is a worse condition because it affects not only the gums but also the bone of a tooth. The inflamed gums can be affected by the infection and this could degrade the gums and the bone in your jaw, causing swollen and painful gums that are likely to bleed.
Treatment for swollen, bleeding or sore gums
There is always a treatment for gum disease. It’s crucial to visit the dentist if you notice that your gums are inflamed, red or feeling pain, painful chewing, gums that bleed, in order to get a correct diagnosis and identify at which stage the gum disease is, could be gingivitis, periodontitis or advanced periodontitis.
To discard that you have periodontitis, which is the most severe form, your dentist may review your medical history, to identify other factors that may contribute to this disease such as smoking or if you just started taking medication that can make your gums swollen or in pain.
Cleaning the pocket around the tooth
The dentist will examine your mouth and look for any gum bleeding, he may also take some x-rays in order to check for bone loss. The treatment for periodontitis involves cleaning the pocket around the teeth and prevent damage to the surrounding bone.
Antibiotics for periodontitis
If the periodontitis is not highly advanced there is no need for surgical treatment and the dentist can prescribe antibiotics in order to eliminate the bacterial infection and other type of less invasive treatments such as scaling or root planing.
Brush the teeth twice a day
Gum diseases and bad conditions can generate due to a poor oral hygiene. Brush your teeth twice a day or better after every meal, floss daily, considering using an electric toothbrush, since these can be more effective in reducing plaque.
Use antiseptic mouthwash
Also beneficial, use antiseptic mouthwash that kills bacteria, the main causes for hurting the gums. Improve your diet, start with a balanced diet, that includes plenty of vitamin C and calcium, this can help to minimize gum sensitivity, drink plenty of water, this can help you wash food from your teeth and prevent the form of plaque that causes the gum pain and inflamed gum. Try to avoid smoking tobacco and alcohol, since they irritate and cause the gums to swell.
There are some factors you should consider that increase the risk of developing a gum disease.
Inflamed gums and hormones
Some of these factors may include, older age and hormonal change. Most affected are women that go through puberty, menstruation or menopause, genetics, if this is a common disease in your family, obesity, substance abuse, some diseases that can affect your immune system such as leukemia, HIV/AIDS and cancer treatment.
Gum issues and cancer
People who undergo chemotherapy also suffer from side effects, including gum problems.
If the pain is constant, take action!
You should not ignore if you are constantly having gum pain, swollen gums or sore gum, you should take action immediately and contact your dentist. Also you should have regular professional dental cleanings, recommended on a schedule by your dentist in order to prevent inflamed gum, swollen gum and gum pain, your gums are vital to your health as any other part of the human body.
