How You Can Soothe Sore Inflamed Gums
Suffering from sore, irritated and inflamed gums can ruin your whole day.
Most of us at some point have noticed blood in the sink when rinsing after brushing and flossing or even sharp pains when eating and drinking. If so, this is a likely sign your gums are unhealthy.
Looking for advice on sore and inflamed gums? Talk to the team at Cambridge City Dental.
What Causes Sore Gums?
Overall body health has a strong link to oral health, so it’s vital to take note when you start to experience these symptoms and pay attention to what is causing them.
The most common reason as to why you may experience painful, sore or inflamed gums comes down to inconsistent oral health at home. When plaque is left on your teeth, bacteria has a source of nutrients and becomes very noxious to your oral health, which leads to inflammation and then gum disease. The result is puffy gums, painful receding gums, bad breath, loose and loss of teeth.
Gum Disease
Swollen or bleeding gums are symptoms of gum disease. However, over time they can cause damage to the bone and tissues that support your teeth. For this reason it’s best to catch the signs of gum disease early.
Gingivitis
Gingivitis is inflammation of the gums. Luckily, you can reverse gingivitis early if you practice good oral hygiene and get the right treatment from your dentist. However, left untreated this can progress to periodontitis. Symptoms include red or puffy gums that may bleed when brushing your teeth.
Periodontitis
Is a stage of gum disease in which the gum tissue is broken down and damaged. Not only can this cause very painful gums, but this can also be followed by tooth loss as periodontitis often makes it difficult for teeth to remain in their sockets due to the loss of the bone supporting your teeth.
Want to learn more about preventing gum disease? Check out our blog article on 5 ways to prevent gum disease.
Tips to Improve Your Gum Health
Here are some simple tips and tricks to start improving your sore and swollen gums immediately.
1) Choose a Soft Bristle Toothbrush
With many toothbrushes on the market, it's important to choose the right one. Choose a soft bristle brush with blunt ends. A brush with hard bristles may damage tooth enamel and cause further gum irritation.
2) Remember to Floss Everyday
Flossing regularly is important but remember to be gentle. Slide the floss gently up and down between teeth rather than forcing it. To keep gums healthy it’s important to brush morning and night and floss once daily. This ensures there are no food particles left on teeth or between them.
3) Use Over the Counter Treatments
If you are suffering from ulcers, these will usually clear up in a week or two. To help healing, you can try an over the counter treatment from your chemist or daily warm salt water mouth rinses to help reduce gum inflammation. If symptoms persist you must attend a dental appointment for further assessment.
4) Maintain a Healthy Diet
Diet plays an important role in gum health. A healthy diet is a balanced diet containing or the necessary food groups. The important thing to remember is to minimise highly acidic foods or drinks and to dilute your mouth with water shortly after if consumed. Continual massaging of the gums during brushing discourages bacteria from adhering thereby allowing your inflammatory system to be in a balanced neutral state.
5) Manage Stress Levels
Take time out for rest and relaxation. Mouth ulcers usually become present in times of stress, so make an effort to take time out from your busy schedule to do the things you enjoy.
How to Prevent Gum Inflammation and Soreness
In addition to maintaining good oral health by daily brushing and flossing, it’s important to maintain regular dental hygiene appointments for both check-ups and a scale and clean. Whilst poor oral hygiene is often the main cause, gum inflammation can also be caused by underlying medical problems such as anemia, infections, and even hormonal imbalances. For this reason, be sure to get anything unusual checked by your doctor or dentist if soreness persists.
Contact Cambridge City Dental for Relief
With a little extra tender loving care you will get your gum health into tip top shape. It’s important to maintain and continue good oral hygiene habits once symptoms have resolved. If you let sore, inflamed and swollen gums go without treatment you may run the risk of developing periodontitis.
If symptoms persist, it’s best to seek help from your dentist, as early prevention is best.
Your dental health is extremely important to us. If you’re concerned about swollen gums that have been sore for more than a week, book an appointment online or speak to one of our friendly team members on the phone at 9382 8266.