Gum disease is a relatively rare reason people go to the dentist. More often, patients are scheduled for an appointment due to toothache and tooth decay. Meanwhile, gum pathologies, if left untreated on time, can bring no less discomfort and pain than tooth decay. What is gingivitis? This is one of the most common gum disease. There are several varieties of this disease. Treatment will vary depending on the stage and type of disease.
Causes of gingivitis
Most often, gingivitis precedes serious dental gum pathologies, such as periodontal disease or necrosis. The patient initially experiences mild itching and pain, and sores may form on the surface of the gums. Over time, they spread all over a large area, you can no longer do without treatment.
Among the factors that provoke the development of gingivitis, the following can be distinguished:
- Tobacco is extremely detrimental to oral health. Gums, teeth, and mucous membranes of the mouth and tongue suffer. It is not for nothing that dentists strongly recommend that all their patients quit smoking as soon as possible. Modern manufacturers of tobacco products use not only tobacco, but also various kinds of chemicals. Chemically treated resins are especially dangerous - they reduce local immunity, hence the reproduction of pathogenic microflora, bad breath from smokers.
- Tartar on the surface of enamel is another additional provoking factor in the development of gingivitis. What is tartar? You should look at the inner surface of the teeth. Almost all people over thirty can notice black spots on the surface of a small enamel, rough to the touch. This is tartar, which over time provokes the appearance of gum disease and caries.
- Bite pathologies often contribute to biting the cheeks and tongue, as a result of which pathogenic bacteria can begin to multiply in the wounds. As a result, over time, gingivitis, periodontal disease and other diseases of the oral mucosa will inevitably develop.
- Causes of a biological nature - prolonged exposure to the gums of painful microflora or various infections. If a person often and for a long time suffers from SARS, flu and autoimmune diseases, then gingivitis develops as a concomitant pathology.
- Negligent medical intervention also often leads to chronic and long-term inflammatory gum disease. If the dentist is inexperienced, then during tooth treatment, he can damage the gum surface with tools. As a result, pathogenic microorganisms are fixed in the wound, which can lead to the development of gingivitis and, with time, periodontal disease. Provided that local immunity is weak, a person will need additional special treatment.
Stages of gingivitis
Dentistry distinguishes the following classification of gingivitis by stages:
- An easy stage is observed in almost all smokers and people with autoimmune diseases and a deficiency of vitamins and minerals. Since this stage of gingivitis is characterized by a minimum of manifestations, most patients ignore it. Meanwhile, if you start using therapeutic ointments at this stage, then you can guaranteed to avoid aggravation of the condition and the development of periodontal disease. At the first stage of gingivitis, the gums turn red; mild itching may occur after smoking or eating foods with high acidity.
- The transition to the second stage can be discussed after the gums begin to bleed. The process begins due to the fact that the surface is covered with microcracks and wounds. As a result, when brushing your teeth or after taking acidic and traumatic food, the patient experiences discomfort and pain. Bleeding is not yet plentiful.
- The severe stage of gingivitis is the most complex degree of ailment in which inflammation affects the entire gum, including the alveolar part. Profuse bleeding develops, a person cannot eat and brush his teeth normally. Constant pain, itching develops. The affected gum often becomes edematous, as a result of which the patient's face becomes asymmetrical. This stage is especially worrying for girls: it is visible to outsiders. Most patients begin treatment only at this stage: it will be long and complicated.
Classification of disease types
According to the localization of the disease, dentistry distinguishes the following classification of gingivitis:
- generalized gingivitis: inflammatory processes affect the entire gum, both or one jaw;
- localized gingivitis: certain areas of the gums are exposed to inflammation, and often there are several of them, as a result of which the patient can neither brush his teeth, but eat without the manifestation of pain and blood secretion.
By the nature of gum lesions, dentistry distinguishes the following types of gingivitis:
- catarrhal;
- atrophic;
- hypertrophic;
- ulcerative necrotic (purulent).
Catarrhal gingivitis: symptoms and causes of development
This type of disease is characteristic of the initial stages of the disease. Depending on the classification of gingivitis, treatment will be different. Catarrhal gingivitis is easiest to treat: it is enough to use ointments that accelerate the regeneration of the mucosa.
This type of disease is characterized by mild itching and redness of the gums. There is almost no swelling, blood is not yet secreted. Over time, microcracks will begin to form, and then the disease will go to the second stage and may acquire a purulent or necrotic course.
Therapies for catarrhal gingivitis
The following ointments are effective for the treatment of catarrhal gingivitis:
- Metrogil-Dent;
- Solcoseryl for gums;
- Holisal
- Malavit.
Rinses with the addition of Chlorhexidine are also helpful. If the oral cavity is not particularly sensitive, then this liquid can be used undiluted.
Solcoseryl for gums is the best choice, both in gel form and in paste form. The drug allows you to achieve the following therapeutic effect:
- Saturates tissues with oxygen and promotes the penetration of nutrients into the deeper layers of the epidermis.
- Accelerates the healing of mucous tissues.
- Anesthetizes the area of tissue inflammation.
Symptoms of atrophic gingivitis
The classification of gingivitis distinguishes an atrophic type of disease.
It proceeds with significant degradation of the affected gum tissue, after which the tooth root is exposed.
The main causes of the progression of the disease are improper orthodontic treatment and gum growth disorders.
Symptoms of atrophic gingivitis:
- severe pain and itching in the gum region in contact with hot, cold or acidic foods;
- the formation of ulcers and wounds that do not heal for a long time and begin to fester in some cases;
- swelling with a large number of microtraumas on the gum surface.
Methods of treatment of atrophic gingivitis
The main danger of the atrophic type of the disease is the possibility of its transition to plasmacytic gingivitis. In this case, ulcers will begin to form not only on the gums, but also in the oral cavity. The patient will experience excruciating pain and will be forced to take analgesics.
To prevent this, the patient should rinse his mouth with “Chlorhexidine” on a daily basis, morning and evening, in order to achieve healing and disinfection of microtraumas, until the atrophic type of the disease has passed into plasmacytic.
You should also use Holisal. It has an analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effect. It is produced in the form of a gel. The product does not contain gene modifications, sugar and toxic substances. Therefore, in most cases, it is easily tolerated by patients, does not have an irritating effect.
Hypertrophic gingivitis: symptoms and causes
This type of disease is characterized by swelling and pain, as well as the appearance of an unpleasant putrid smell from the mouth. The patient practically loses the ability to fully eat, as he is concerned about the constant rather strong pain in the affected gum.
Hypertrophic gingivitis is characterized by the fact that the gingival papillae, which cover up to half the surface of the tooth, increase in size. In rare cases, the gum can cover the tooth completely.
Therapies for hypertrophic gingivitis
Therapy of hypertrophic gingivitis should be aimed not only at reducing the main symptoms, but also at preventing a relapse of the disease in the future. Therefore, even after the symptoms disappear, the patient should continue to use ointments and creams for gums as a prophylaxis. "Solcoseryl" is an effective ointment for hypertrophic gingivitis.
Toothpaste should also be selected medical. "Parodontax" is very good in this regard: this paste has a medicinal composition and well interrupts bad breath, which is present with the hypertrophic type of gum disease.
Ulcerative necrotic gingivitis: symptoms and causes of development
This is the most difficult type of disease in terms of the treatment used. The reasons for the development of necrotic gingivitis is the failure to comply with the rules of oral hygiene and advanced catarrhal type of disease. Also, the disease can form due to serious injuries of the oral cavity.
The classification of gingivitis according to ICD-10 is as follows:
- acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis (A69.1).
- herpes gingivostomatitis provoked by herpes virus (B00.2)
In some cases, with ulcerative necrotic gingivitis, the dentist prescribes a sick leave. The patient's face swells under which the diseased gum is located. He can not eat because of the release of pus and strong pain.
How to treat?
For treatment, it is necessary to take antibacterial and anti-inflammatory drugs. External therapy is also important: the use of ointments and creams will help get rid of itching and pain.
Rinse your mouth with Chlorhexidine several times a day. In parallel with taking antibiotics, this method of therapy will help the patient get rid of the obvious symptoms of ulcerative gingivitis on the third or fourth day.
Alternative methods of treating gingivitis
Methods of treating catarrhal gingivitis at home:
- Rinse with concentrated soda infusion.
- Rinse with infusion of oak bark (one tablespoon per glass of boiling water, allow to cool and rinse your mouth once an hour).
- Lubrication of the affected area of the gums with aloe juice.
- Lubricating the gums with fresh floral honey will reduce itching and healing microcracks.
Dental tips for quick cure
Gingivitis is easier to prevent than to treat. Here are simple tips to help prevent the development of the disease:
- go only to a time-tested dentist who is guaranteed to perform dental treatment in a quality manner;
- quit bad habits - smoking has a detrimental effect on the condition of the gums;
- regularly take care of the oral cavity;
- use toothpastes, which contain medical components - soda, calcium, plant extracts and oils;
- avoid eating acidic and spicy - such products irritate the surface of the mucous membrane of the mouth and gums.