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Love Your Gums: Avoiding Gum Disease

Gum disease sounds scary, and left untreated it could mean pretty bad news for your teeth. But there’s many ways to treat gum disease, and it’s never too late to get your gums looked at by your dentist!

We wanted to take the time to explain exactly what gum disease is, why it’s bad for your teeth and how we can help you treat and avoid it!

 

What is gum disease?

Over time, a soft sticky layer of bacteria grows on your teeth – this is called plaque.

When the plaque stays there for a long time, it hardens – this becomes known as tartar (or calculus). Tartar can be likened to the barnacles that grow and harden at the bottom of a boat.

If you haven’t been to the dentist for a clean for a long time, the tartar can spread in between and underneath the gums. Once this happens, tartar causes the bone that supports your teeth to dissolve away and thus resulting in gum disease.

 

Why is gum disease bad?

When gum disease occurs, you don’t actually feel anything. It is a painless infection of the gum and bones, making it difficult to know that it’s actually happening.

  • Teeth are held in your mouth by bone that surrounds and supports the roots
  • Gum disease causes the bone to dissolve away
  • Teeth are no longer supported by surrounding gums
  • Eventually, the teeth can fall out freely by themselves

 

Common symptoms:

  • Bad morning breath
  • Gums bleeding when you brush or floss
  • Bad breath in general
  • Bad taste in your mouth
  • Loose and unstable teeth that can move

 

Gum disease is easy to avoid!

Fortunately, early-stage gum disease is easily treated!

A simple clean at the dentist and correct advice on how to look after your teeth at home is enough to stop gum disease in its tracks.

Book in for a checkup with one of our trusty professionals at our Blackburn dental clinic.

It’s never too long between dentist visits and we’d be happy to see you!

 

Image credits: renatalferro