Gums
Gums are also known as Gingiva/Gingivae. Healthy gums are coral pink in colour, stippled and firm in texture and contour.
They are attached to and surrounding the necks of the teeth and adjacent jawbone.
Plaque- Gingivitis
The sticky, slimy biofilm that forms on the teeth is known as plaque, which can be easily removed by regular brushing, flossing, and rinsing the mouth with plain water post-meal.
When this practice is inefficient, the plaque hardens to become Tartar or Calculus. This condition is commonly known as known as GINGIVITIS.
Chronic Inflammation- Periodontitis
Tartar / Calculus is a hard, dark yellow to brownish deposit on teeth predominantly loaded with bacteria, calcium, and other minerals from the saliva.
The tartar slowly encroaches the marginal gums (neck of the tooth), which then finds its way between the gums and the tooth (SUB-GINGIVAL).
This causes the gums to recede in time, leading to Dental root exposure, causing tooth Sensitivity, gum bleeding, and tooth mobility. This chronic inflammatory change of the gums is called PERIODONTITIS.
Non-Plaque Factors
Smoking, Tobacco chewing, and certain modern lifestyle diseases like Diabetes add to the woe by increasing the bacterial count multi-fold.
This causes bacteraemia, defined as the presence of bacteria in the bloodstream.
Dental Plaque – Arterial Plaque
Poor gum health with high plaque accumulation can be a superadded factor to coronary artery disease. The plaque inside the arteries supplying the heart is called “Atherosclerosis”.
Though not everyone with gum disease develops heart attacks/strokes, not everyone with heart problems has poor gum health.
Research and studies show the link between chronic gum disease and heart disease. Poorly maintained gum health increases the risk of developing silent heart attack, stroke, and other cardiac diseases by 3 to 4 times. Thus, routine dental checkups and scaling become imperative!
Tartar, which is very hard and tough to remove by brushing, requires a Dental prophylactic Scaling/Cleaning procedure.
This can be repeated once every 6 months, which will be assessed by the Dentists, keeping in mind the patient’s medical condition, habits, and other conditions.
“Our Health is in our own Oral Cavity”
Follow these golden rules to have clean and healthy teeth and gums!
- Brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste.
- Use floss to clean between teeth after food.
- Avoid frequent consumption of sugary foods/snacks between meals.
- Drink plenty of water and eat a healthy and balanced diet.
- Change the toothbrush once every 3 months.
- Visit your dentist once in 6 months.
