You want to avoid some things when it comes to dental health, and gingivitis is one of those things. With gingivitis, prevention is key, and your dental professional will be able to guide you through the best strategies to avoid gingivitis.
But what exactly is gingivitis? And can it be reversed? Let’s walk through it!
What Is Gingivitis
Gingivitis is a form of gum disease that begins with plaque. It causes irritation, redness, and swelling in the part of your gums around the base of your teeth. The plaque that causes gingivitis contains bacteria that causes gingivitis and tooth decay.
Gingivitis is serious, but the early symptoms can be easy to ignore.
Some of these early symptoms include:
- Swollen gums
- Darker red gums
- Bad breath
- Receding gums
- Tender gums
Many people experience inflammation in their gums, so the early signs of gingivitis are sometimes ignored. The pain is not as noticeable as other dental health issues, and gingivitis can sometimes only be uncovered in its later stages.
Gingivitis can also come and go, and it’s a longer-term dental health issue tied to your dental hygiene habits. The best way to detect early gingivitis and move forward with prevention is to visit your dental professional every 6 months.
As with most dental health issues, early detection will help you avoid long-term problems.
Can Gingivitis Be Reversed?
The short answer is yes. Gingivitis can be reversed and even prevented in some cases. To reverse or prevent gingivitis, you have to be cautious about your daily oral hygiene routine.
There are various methods to prevent and reverse gingivitis, which include:
- Maintaining a consistent brushing and flossing schedule
- Checking your gums regularly for warning signs
- Visiting your dental professional for regular dental exams
- Eating healthy foods
- Avoiding smoking
Brushing twice a day and flossing are huge in preventing plaque build-up, which works against gingivitis. If you’ve been slacking on your dental hygiene routine, it’s not too late to reverse course.
The damage gingivitis can bring to your smile is a common concern. Caution and patience with your daily dental routine are essential in reversing any gingivitis-induced issues.
While gingivitis is preventable and reversible, there are levels of gingivitis that can be tougher to get rid of. Let’s take a look at those levels of gingivitis and how to deal with them.
Levels of Gingivitis
The first level of gingivitis can go unnoticed. You’ll experience some discomfort and inflamed gums. When you start noticing symptoms of gingivitis the best course of action is to get in touch with your dental professional!
If gingivitis goes untreated, it can result in gum disease that spreads down to the bone. If the spread of plaque and gingivitis gets out of control, it can develop into gum disease, requiring multiple scheduled visits with your dental professional.
If gingivitis progresses to the next level it can lead to a more serious dental condition called periodontitis.
The longer you leave any plaque unchecked, it can harden to a damaging degree. Once plaque hardens, it can develop into tartar. Tartar can only be removed by your dental professional. At that point, recovery and prevention will be out of your hands.
If left untreated for too long, gingivitis can progress to chronic gingival inflammation, which can result in more serious systemic diseases such as:
- Respiratory disease
- Diabetes
- Coronary artery disease
- Stroke and rheumatoid arthritis
You must monitor these symptoms and work on prevention—the longer gingivitis goes untreated, the more significant risk that it can present to the future of your dental health.
Defeating Gingivitis
Gingivitis can be scary when you’re not sure what to expect to prevent any stress and anxiety in the future—maintaining preventive measures is vital. Brushing and flossing go a long way in preventing plaque build-up and keeping gingivitis at bay.
Book an appointment with your dental health professional to maintain a consistent schedule and prevent or defeat gingivitis.
