How important are healthy gums for good oral health?
How important are healthy gums for good oral health?
Healthy gums are an integral part of a prefect smile. When flashing a smile the gums that can be seen, play a very important role in making it a pleasant one.
Apart from the aesthetic importance healthy gums play 3 major roles:
Holding teeth firmly:
Healthy gums, along with the fibers that attach them to the teeth, form an apparatus that hold the teeth in the mouth.
Protecting roots:
Roots of your teeth are extremely important to keep the teeth alive and strong while keeping them sturdy. Healthy gums help to keep them cover and protected, helping you to enjoy your delightful meals. When diseased they have bacteria which are damaging to the mouth and may make your teeth wobbly.
Development of teeth:
When you were a child your gums aided the growth and development of your teeth. This is referred to as the teething stage.
Make sure that your gums are in prime health
When neglected, the gums can become host to a number of bacteria. These bacteria are not only damaging to the mouth but also to the rest of the body. Pus formation or infection in the gums can cause infection in the teeth in visa versa. The effect of unhealthy gums on the rest of the body will be discussed in the succeeding posts.
Do you have healthy gums or gum disease?
How common is gum disease?
About 50% of the general population is affected by some stage of gum disease. It could range from being as mild as bleeding on brushing or on biting something hard to as sever as loss of teeth due to the gum and bone receding away from the teeth.
The 4 stages of gum disease:
Bleeding on brushing-
After brushing, you may see blood in the paste which you spat out. The most common cause is gum disease. It is an early sign.
Redness in the margin of the gums where it meets the teeth-
This is an early sign of progressing gum disease. The redness is because if the swelling in the gums.
Redness in the entire gums
This is an advanced stage of gum disease, where the disease has spread throughout you gums. The swelling in the entire gums causes it to turn fully red.
Moving teeth/ Elongated teeth-
The teeth either start moving a bit or appear longer than they were initially. This is because the attachment apparatus to the teeth is lost. Sometimes the attachment is lost without the gums receding, with moving teeth being the only symptom present.
Do you think you could have gum disease?
How healthy are your gums?
Look in the mirror to see if you have any of the vital signs mentioned above. Feel free to share what you find in the comment section below or by contacting us.
What would you like to know?
Do you have any questions in mind? Or were you looking for some more information? Speak your mind in the comment section and we shall answer your questions in the future posts.
