Knowing how to get rid of gingivitis does not rise to the top of anyone’s priority list unless perhaps you happen to be a dentist or periodontist. However, mild gum disease can quickly become “trench mouth”, otherwise known as acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis. Then, instead of relatively minor symptoms, you may end up with some rather severe problems, including:
- Grayish film forms on your teeth that you just can never seem to brush away
- Bleeding when touching gums, especially during brushing or when eating just about any food
- Gums tend to be very sore to the touch because there is a severe infection raging and causing the ulcerative gingivitis
- Chronic bad breath problems
- Lymph nodes may become enlarged due to the infection
- Severe inflammation
However, necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis is certainly not your only concern. The problems with gingivitis or periodontitis do not simply go away and the infection caused by the bacteria will continue to spread throughout the oral cavity. In time, this infection may cause your gums to recede and your supporting bone tissue to dissolve. The teeth will eventually loosen and fall out of your mouth.
Once the gingivitis or periodontitis has destroyed your oral health, the bacteria which caused the infection will enter into your blood stream. With free access to all the systems in your body, the bacteria will may increase your chances for other serious medical problems, such as:
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Infective Endocarditis
- Coronary Artery Disease
- Weakened Immune System
In order to prevent the bacteria from spreading throughout your body, you will need to treat the advanced gingivitis or periodontitis and neutralize the microbes. Some advanced periodontal procedures used to treat gingivitis and periodontitis include:
Teeth cleaning-to remove the tartar where the anaerobic bacteria hide behind and breed faster
Regeneration-destroyed gum and bone tissue is restored using a bone graft and specialized tissue generating protein treatments
Pocket reduction Surgery-damaged caused by advanced stages of ulcerative gingivitis and periodontitis may lead to the formation of pockets in between the gums and the teeth. These pockets are prime real estate for harmful bacteria which breed much quicker once they have formed. This form of advanced gum disease treatment eradicates the bacteria and helps reduce the size of the pockets so that the gums will hopefully reattach to the teeth
Soft Tissue Graft-In advanced stages of gum disease and necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, the root of teeth may become exposed due to receding gums. A soft tissue graft helps restore the gums and cover the tooth back up so that nerve endings are not exposed.
None of the gingivitis treatment options are great, especially once the condition spreads below the gum line and becomes periodontitis. Learning how to get rid of gingivitis now means preventing it before it starts. However, in order to avoid serious medical problems in the future such as increased risk for stroke, heart attack, or infective endocarditis, it is also important to learn how to stop gingivitis because it could very well save or at least extend your life!
