Healthy and Unhealthy Gums: What are the Signs?
Every disease or health issue in the body shows some signs or indicates its presence and not only problems but a healthy organ or region in the body too shows signs of its own. Let’s learn today, how a person could identify if he/ she has healthy or unhealthy gums:-
Healthy Gums
- Have a light pink colour, similar to that of the inside of cheeks.
- Does not bleed occasionally. Especially during brushing or flossing.
- The chewing capacity of teeth has not changed recently.
- When pressed, feel firm and sturdy.
- No gap between the gums observed.
Unhealthy Gums
- Extremely reddish or purple gums can be seen.
- Swollen and painful gums when touched.
- Bleed occasionally, especially during brushing and flossing.
- Feel too mushy and soft when touched.
- The gap between the gums and teeth can be observed evidently.
Gums and Heart: The Connection of Health-
Gum health and heart health are connected very much. How? Let’s find out:-
- The bacteria and other microbes that get developed in the gums due to a gum disease can travel to the heart through the blood stream. They then can cause inflammation to rise in the heart, which later can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and clogged arteries.
- A gum disease could lead to a further disease in the heart called Endocarditis. In this, bacteria from the gum infected by these microbes enter the bloodstream and travel to the heart lining and attach themselves to the lining. They also get attached to the heart’s valves. They further then can raise inflammation in heart lining and valves, can damage these areas and lead to other serious problems.
- The increase in flammation in the heart due to gum disease can also lead to hardened arteries, that make the blood flow difficult or block it completely if left untreated for a long time.
Tips on How a Person Could Keep His Gums Healthy-
Brushing
- Brush your teeth twice a day.
- Brush your teeth firmly, don’t be harsh on gums.
- Brush for at least 4-5 minutes and try to clean every part of your teeth.
- Brush with fluoride toothpaste.
Avoid Tobacco and Smoking
- Both smoking and chewing tobacco is hazardous for oral health as it can lead to increased amounts of tartar and plaque to compile on the teeth. This can lead to poor oral health and even can damage your teeth and gum to the level they can’t be healed or repaired.
Checkups
- Get your checkups done by a certified professional dentist on a regular basis.
- If you start seeing some signs like bleeding or swollen gums, don’t ignore it and take early action by visiting a dentist as soo as possible.
Diet
- A good and healthy diet also contributes to good oral health. If a person is eating a lot of junk sweets, his teeth and gums won’t be as happy as his other body parts. A fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains diet is beneficial for oral health.
- Add vitamin C in your diet, as it can help protect gum health.
Alcohol
- Too much alcohol consumption is also a contributor of teeth and gum damage. It is suggested to cut down on your alcohol intake in order to prevent an oral disease from developing in your mouth or if already suffering from one to prevent it from getting worse.
Mouthwash and Floss
- It is suggested to have a mouthwash routine daily with a fluoridated water in order to clean the dirt and remaining food traces still stuck between the teeth and was not able to get removed by brushing.
- It is suggested to floss daily once to clean your teeth properly.
It is true that we can prevent many health problems by taking care of ourselves and taking precautions and being mindful of our daily routine. However, some times even after so many preventions and care, as disease or health issue still gets developed and knocks at our door by showing symptoms and signs of its presence.
Like this, oral health issues too can develop even after taking proper care of our teeth and gums. One of those problems is having a bite problem (when the upper and lower teeth don’t align properly when the mouth is closed). A bite problem could lead to many other oral issues further, development of gum disease is one of them.
The solution to solve this problem is getting ceramic braces from a certified and experienced dentist. This will help with aligning the upper and lower teeth and thus the gums will stay healthy.
