What Exactly Are The Causes Of Gingivitis?

I remember when I was a kid I saw many mouthwash commercials that were advertising defense against a gum disease called Gingivitis. I will never forget one commercial in particular; because it featured a huge black Gingivitis spelled out onto the screen. Then the mouthwash, in the form of muscular globs, splashes onto the screen and breaks the Gingivitis into small pieces, then washes it away.

Mouthwash is a great way to prevent Gingivitis, but what are some of the causes of Gingivitis? The main causes of Gingivitis are poor oral hygiene, viral and fungal infections, and poor nutrition.

Poor oral hygiene is the most common cause of Gingivitis, because when plaque stays on your teeth for more than a few days it turns into tartar. Tartar then starts to build up next to your gums, and causes irritation and can lead to Gingivitis. The worst thing about tartar is that it can not be removed by brushing and flossing alone. The only way to get rid of tartar is to have your teeth professionally cleaned by a dentist.

Viral and fungal infections have also known to be a cause of Gingivitis, because many infections can cause damage to your gums. Oral thrush is one infection that causes many problems in your mouth, such as lesions on your mouth and gums. These lesions can then lead to Gingivitis if they are not dealt with quickly.

Poor nutrition is also a major cause of Gingivitis, because a lack of certain vitamins and minerals can cause weak gums. You need to make sure that you get enough calcium, vitamin C, and vitamin B. Calcium is very important because it makes your bones healthy, including the ones that support your teeth. Vitamin C and vitamin B are important because they help keep your gums strong and healthy.

You need to make sure that you brush and floss your teeth twice a day to help prevent plaque from becoming tartar. You also need to take care of any infection very quickly, and eat a healthy diet regularly. If you do these things, then you will eliminate the major causes of Gingivitis, and have a better chance of having healthy teeth and gums.

Looking for a treatment for Gingivitis? Visit our Natural Gum Disease Treatment Site.

 

Gingivitis Is A Funny Topic

"Gingivitis is a funny topic". That is what my friend at work told me when I mentioned my Gingivitis Killer website. "I don't think so", I thought. Gingivitis and gum disease are serious. They can cause a person to lose his teeth. Many, many people have gingivitis and/or gum disease. A lot of those people don't even know it.

A person often finds out he has gum disease after a lot of gum tissue has receded and has been lost. Unfortunately, it is expensive and difficult to restore the gum tissue when it gets to that point. But why let things get that bad in the first place? It is not difficult to defeat gingivitis. It is even easier to prevent it.

Actually, for most people, it is so easy that it is borderline ridiculous. So why haven't you heard how to do it then? That it is a difficult question to answer. On the one hand, people usually don't even recognize that they have gingivitis in the first place. On the other hand, many dental professionals fear that their patients won't comply with what it takes to prevent or eliminate gingivitis, so they don't always tell their patients. Unfortunately, if you wait until the damage is severe, it may be costly and inconvenient to fix.

Why not spend a little time each day stopping this awful disease from growing and causing further damage? It just plain makes sense to do so. Or, if you haven't developed that severe of a condition yet, why not just work on preventing it now.

There are a lot of misconceptions about gingivitis. I heard one older gentleman remark, "I'm getting old, so of course my gums are going to recede." I say that is not necessarily the case. If this gentleman did the same basic work that a person of any other age can do, he should expect similar results.

If your gums bleed when you brush or floss your teeth, there is a very good chance that you have gum disease or the beginnings of it. It is really not normal for healthy gum tissue to bleed. The gum tissue, when healthy, is fairly resilient.

The major problem with gum disease is that it can cause you to lose your teeth. In fact, it is the number one cause of tooth loss. Many people might think that cavities would be the number one cause, but that is not the case. Gum disease is.

The same older gentleman that I just mentioned also said there is no substitute for having your own, real teeth. And he is right. Nature knows best what works for us and no artificial substitute is going to be completely up to par.

If you have gum disease or gingivitis, please contact your dentist for diagnosis and treatment.

David Snape writes for the http://GingivitisKiller.com website. You can read more about how he stopped the progression of gingivitis and how he prevents it from coming back.

Pregnancy Gingivitis - What Every Expectant Mother Should Know

On at least three separate occasions, I can remember having the privilege of breaking the news of a young woman's pregnancy from my side of the dentist's chair. I use the word "privilege" with my tongue planted firmly in my cheek, however. After all, the diagnosis was only determined because of the patient's tender, red, swollen gums. Ouch!

Talk about taking the good news with the bad . . .

Known as pregnancy gingivitis, this unpleasant condition is often assumed to be one of the natural consequences of the hormonal changes often found in pregnant women. The hormones involved, estrogen and progesterone, are secreted in progressively greater concentrations throughout most of pregnancy. While this reaction is necessary for preparing a woman's body for the journey ahead, the resulting flood of hormones results in a variety of effects.

Hormones tell the kidneys to retain water in order to build blood volume to have enough to nourish the placenta. Thus a pregnant woman has 40% more fluid in her body. As a result, this increases the amount of fluid in all the cells in the body, including the gum tissues, which causes them to become "puffy." Between the time of conception and the seventh month of pregnancy, hormones will triple in quantity, and then remain at that heightened level until delivery.

Meanwhile, as if she doesn't have enough to contend with, the pregnant patient with hormones out of whack is swollen and tender and sometimes cannot do an effective job with her oral hygiene. I am pleased to tell you that with above standard oral hygiene, this condition can be almost entirely avoided. Remember, it is the bacteria, not the hormones, which cause the gingivitis. Despite the fact that the statistics reveal 50-75% of all pregnant women develop pregnancy gingivitis, that doesn't have to mean you. If you are reading this book after the fact, you can be assured that this condition is reversible with proper home care, techniques, tools, and medicines.

Dr. Thomas Rams, professor and chairman of the Department of Periodontology at Temple University School of Dentistry in Philadelphia, says, "There are hormonal shifts in pregnancy that reduce the gingival tissue resistance to infection, and there is also an increased risk that the hormones circulating will help promote the growth of certain bacteria and plaque, which causes inflammation." Rams also says, "In periodontitis, bacterial plaque infection not only causes inflammation of gingival tissues like gingivitis, but also progressively destroys connective tissue fibers and surrounding bone anchoring teeth to the jaws, resulting in the loss of teeth."

Knowing how to minimize the bacterial biofilm in your mouth, and especially along the gum line, is the key factor in preventing pregnancy gingivitis and the escalating symptoms that often continue during pregnancy. However, a woman needs to be taught before she gets pregnant how to eliminate bacteria on a daily basis.

Because gums can be painful, puffy, and bleeding during pregnancy, the tendency is to avoid touching them. However, it is imperative that you practice good oral hygiene during pregnancy to avoid both tooth decay and gum infections. Pregnancy, with its three-fold increase in hormones, may exaggerate the body's normal response to dental plaque.

It need not increase your risk of getting gum disease . . .

Although relatively rare, the body's response to inflammation may produce another offset of the "joy" of childbirth: a pregnancy "tumor" (also called pyogenic granuloma). This "tumor" may develop on the gums in response to the irritating bacteria that collects there. Rest assured, however, that these growths of extra tissue are usually painless, and totally benign. However, if they get large these "pregnancy tumors" can become annoying and should be treated. Meticulous oral hygiene is the answer to avoiding the inflammation associated with these growths, and it is comforting to know that they usually subside after childbirth.

Fascinating Factoid: "Occasionally chewing sugarless gum is helpful to increase the amount of saliva in your mouth, without contributing to the risk of gingivitis. It may also be helpful in averting the nausea so common in the first three months of pregnancy."

Brushing, flossing, and irrigating daily (all done gently but deliberately) are important in preventing gingivitis, during pregnancy and anytime in your life. In addition, it is important to pay attention to eating more healthfully for yourself and your baby, by substituting fruits, cheese, nuts, and vegetables for those sugary foods you might have enjoyed before becoming pregnant. If your gums are tender and brushing is painful, try ice, or several helpful over the counter products that will soothe painful gums. These include:

? Gly-oxide
? Peroxyl mouth rinse
? Amosan oral rinse
? Anbesol liquid
? Orajel Mouth-Aid

(Please be sure to ask your doctor if she has objections to any of these products.)

Sheila Wolf, RDH, affectionately called ?Mama Gums,? has been a registered dental hygienist since 1971. She is currently retired from clinical practice but enjoys writing, speaking, and consulting on various oral health issues. She has authored two award-winning books, Pregnancy and Oral Health: The critical connection between your mouth and your baby, and Your Mouth Could Be KILLING You. Both are available on her website, http://www.mamagums.com/about_book.html, through Amazon, and at finer bookstores everywhere. Sheila also works with people privately as an oral wellness coach, educating and empowering people to keep their natural teeth for a lifetime, avoid gum surgery, and just possibly add years to their lives. You may reach Sheila through her website, http://www.mamagums.com or in San Diego at 866-MAMA-GUMs. Sheila will happily share her articles with you. Please acknowledge her contribution by including her ?Bio? at the end of the article.