Our Dental Blog Archives for Gingivitis: Page 1

One of the most common questions asked to dental professionals is: “what are receding gums?”. In simple terms, receding gums are a result of gum disease — causing your gums to have a “receding” appearance.

What causes receding gums?

Typically, gum disease plays the largest role in causing receding gums. In simple terms, bacteria that enters the oral cavity as a result of gum disease starts to form plaque. Plaque accumulation can cause inflammation of the gums and this inflammation results in erosion of gum tissue – giving your gums a recessed appearance.

How to prevent receding gums?

Luckily, gum disease is very easy to diagnose. If you have noticed a receding of the gum line, then you should make an appointment at Greenline Dental Centre to confirm the diagnosis and start proper treatment. Sensitive teeth, especially increased sensitivity to hot and cold foods, are another symptom of gum recession – the sensitive roots of the teeth become exposed and that’s why you might feel pain.

Gum recession can be a slow progression, but the end result can be quite serious and drastic. In the initial stage, the gums are pink and appear scalloped around the teeth. Afterwards, the gums turn a bright pink or red, soften and begin to bleed.  You can actually see the gums receding away from the teeth as days go by. The teeth also loosen and liquid begins to collect in the space between gums and teeth. The final stage of receding gums is when the roots become visible along with increased pus formation. This is extremely painful and causes severe bleeding along with tooth sensitivity.

Is there treatment for receding gums?

Don’t delay and book an appointment with a health care professional at Greenline Dental Centre for proper diagnosis and treatment. There is no one product or medication that offers a cure for receding gums. The treatment usually focuses on gum disease – treating gum disease will usually also treat receding gums. However, you might require gingival flap surgery, tissue graft, bone graft and cosmetic dentistry to save your teeth as well as to restore the appearance of your gums and teeth.

The best treatment for receding gums is to understand the importance of a good and healthy oral routine to prevent and curb gum recession. Most often, there is no special treatment undertaken if the gums have begun to recede. Practice a good oral regimen to control the condition followed by periodic visits to the clinic to ensure that the recession has not progressed and that your gum disease is under control.

Receding gums can turn out to be a major problem if not treated immediately, so contact Greenline Dental Centre at Coquitlam Centre for an appointment today and we will help you keep your smile beautiful and healthy.

It is a commonly known fact that smoking leads to health problems such as lung cancer, but did you know that smoking and oral health problems often go hand in hand?

In fact, smoking is the leading cause for almost 75% of gum disease in adults. This percentage includes adults who smoke from pipes and cigars, as well as those enjoying smokeless tobacco.

“As soon as you begin using tobacco products, you are more likely to experience these common problems that are tied with smoking and oral health problems”

As soon as you begin using tobacco products, you are more likely to experience these common problems that are tied with smoking and oral health problems:

• Bad breath
• Stained teeth and tongue
• Gum disease
• Gum recession
• Tooth loss
• Bone loss in the jaw
• Delayed healing process after dental treatment
• Mouth sores
• Decreased sense of taste and smell

At Greenline Dental we are always dedicated to helping you maintain optimal oral health, that is why we strongly recommend patients to quit using any tobacco products.

For the sake of your teeth, gums and oral health, use these steps recommended by the Surgeon General to help make quitting smoking easier.

• Be prepared
• Ask for help from friends/family members/co-workers
• Invest your free time in an interesting activity
• Be prepared for a relapse
• Get medication, if necessary, and use it correctly

The team at Greenline Dental Centre understand how difficult and time-consuming quitting smoking can be. However, we are dedicated to helping you protect your most valuable asset – your beautiful smile.

Contact our Coquitlam dental clinic if you are in need of any support or advice on your journey to understanding smoking and oral health issues.

Do your gums often get red, swollen, and tender or do they bleed easily? Have your gums pulled away from your teeth at all? Are your teeth loose or separating? Do you suffer from chronic bad breath (halitosis) or a bad taste in your mouth? Have you experienced any changes in your bite?

If your answer was yes to any of these questions you may have gum disease, also known as periodontal disease.

Gum disease is essentially an infection of the teeth’s supporting tissues. Gum disease targets the area just below the gum line, where it can break down the attachment between the tooth and its supporting tissues. As the tissues are damaged, pockets are created where bacteria can thrive and impact your oral health.

Did you know it’s possible to have gum disease without any symptoms or warning signs? Gum disease has two main stages known as gingivitis and periodontitis. Gingivitis is the less severe and reversible form of gum disease, which affects the gums only. If Gingivitis is neither identified nor reversed it will likely lead to periodontitis, a more severe form of gum disease which in turn affects your overall health.

The dental experts at Greenline Dental Centre assess the health of your teeth and gums at every appointment, checking for the signs of gum disease and performing professional cleaning to ensure that pockets of bacteria and plaque don’t build up in your mouth. Your hygiene professional will provide personalized guidance on how often you should visit to prevent gum disease or what is required to get rid of active infection. They will also instruct you on how best to care for your teeth between visits.

Contact Aaagon Dental to book your preventative dentistry appointment today, and we will work with you to ensure that your smile is healthy and your energy levels high to support your active lifestyle.

The American Diabetes Association recently announced that studies have identified and confirmed a direct correlation between diabetes and gum disease. Not only are diabetics more prone to gum disease, but oral health problems such as gingivitis can also affect blood glucose stability, leading to the advancement of diabetes.

Our experts at Greenline Dental share a passion for staying at the forefront of the healthcare field as the industry evolves in knowledge, treatments and technology. New research has confirmed that excellent oral health is integral to the maintenance of excellent whole body health. Evidently, this link is vital to our patients who are diabetic.

Diabetes and unstable blood glucose levels increase your risk of developing serious gum disease and losing teeth. Furthermore, recent and potentially groundbreaking studies have found that gum disease can contribute to a rise in blood sugar and thus make diabetes harder to control.

If you suffer from a diabetic condition, you can effectively increase your chances of related complications by neglecting to care for your teeth and gums. The most important ways for our diabetic patients to maintain optimal oral health include: 1) Controlling glucose levels, 2) Visiting Greenline Dental every six months for your professional cleaning, 3) Keeping us aware of how you are managing your diabetes, 4) Brushing your teeth at least twice daily after meals, flossing daily, and using mouthwash, 5) Quitting smoking, 6) Becoming more aware of warning signs such as receding, tender or bleeding gums, and loose teeth.

Greenline Dental is concerned with every aspect of our patients’ health, and would like to partner with you to restore and revitalize your overall heath. If you have diabetes, speak to one of our team members about how we can best protect your oral health.