Gingivitis: More serious than just bleeding gums
When a patient comes in with red puffy gums, this is referred to as gingivitis. This occurs when plaque, which is bacteria and food remains, is allowed to remain on the teeth and gum line for an extended amount of time. The gums will likely bleed when brushing or flossing occurs.
Gingivitis is a gum disease. If gingivitis is untreated, it can progress into periodontitis resulting in damage to the bone and supporting tissue around teeth. If periodontitis is left untreated, it can result in tooth loss. Periodontitis has been linked to other systemic health issues. Some of the health issues include heart disease, diabetes, dementia, and rheumatoid arthritis. Experts believe this is because oral bacteria is released into the bloodstream and damages major organs.
The good news is with proper oral hygiene the condition can resolve. To resolve the condition, longer and more frequent brushing and flossing needs to be performed on a consistent basis.
Here are some DIY rinses that can aide in the treatment of gingivitis
- Saltwater rinse-mix lukewarm water and salt-swish and spit out-use 3 times a day
- Lemongrass oil-dilute 2-3 drops of lemongrass oil with water-swish and spit out-use 3 times a day
- Aloe Vera-no need to dilute-swish and spit out-use 3 times a day
- Turmeric gel-leave on gums for 10 minutes-rinse out-has anti-fungal benefits
In community news:
Reid & Reid recently contributed to the Pay-It-Forward playground at Atkinson Elementary. Some of the new equipment is already being enjoyed by the students during the beautiful weather.