SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS OF GINGIVITIS YOU SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO

27.11.2019

Many people have probably encountered such a problem when, while brushing their teeth, their gums suddenly began to bleed. This is quite an unpleasant phenomenon, especially if it causes bad breath. Gums may bleed from a hard toothbrush, but this can also be a sign of serious problems. If you wait until the bleeding goes away on its own, you can easily develop diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis, and after a while you can even lose your teeth. Why do my gums hurt and bleed? What to do in this case? Let's try to figure it out together.

Causes of bleeding gums

If your gums are bleeding, the reasons may be:

• Poor oral hygiene, which may include using a hard-bristled toothbrush and brushing too vigorously. The gums are injured and blood appears.
• Negligent oral care. Many people spend no more than a minute brushing their teeth, which does not allow them to completely remove food debris that contributes to the formation of tartar. It can be located both above and below the gum. If tartar is under the gum, it begins to move it away from the tooth, causing bleeding.
• Oral diseases. Diseases such as gingivitis, periodontitis, periodontitis and periodontal disease are often accompanied by bleeding gums. Much less often, this phenomenon is caused by completely different diseases: ARVI, diabetes mellitus, blood cancer, hemophilia.
• Taking certain medications. Certain medications can thin the blood, but they have side effects, one of which is bleeding gums. As soon as the patient stops taking them, the gums also return to normal.
• Poor nutrition. The lack of vitamins B, C, E and K greatly affects the health of the gums.
• Dental procedures. If the gums bleed as a result of the manipulations, the reasons for this may be poorly installed crowns or low-quality dentures, which can injure the gums. Quite rarely, blood may appear after brushing your teeth at the dental clinic.

Causes of caries

Caries is the most common dental disease, which is diagnosed even in very young children. This is the name for the destruction of tooth tissue: dentin, enamel, and the surface of the tooth root. Based on the location of dental caries, the following types are distinguished:

• cervical - the lesion is located near the gums;
• fissure - occurs in natural irregularities on the surface of the teeth;
• approximal - develops in the interdental space, most often affecting the front incisors.

If caries is not treated, then over time the hard tissues of the tooth begin to soften and carious cavities form. The main cause of the disease is cariogenic bacteria, which must be removed during daily brushing of teeth. They are present in the body of all people, but begin to become active only under certain conditions.

If treatment is not started in time, serious complications are possible: purulent damage to surrounding tissues, pulpitis and even sepsis (blood poisoning). In addition, teeth can be lost as they are gradually destroyed completely.

Vitamins for bleeding gums

Do you have bleeding gums and bad breath? So know: often these symptoms haunt a person whose food is poor in vitamins. Therefore, you should definitely include in your diet foods rich in nutrients, micro- and macroelements.

Vitamin C helps prevent gum inflammation and bleeding and helps reduce the susceptibility of the oral mucosa to various infections. This vitamin is found in cabbage, citrus fruits, green onions, celery, red peppers, potatoes, kiwi, parsley, currants, spinach, and raspberries.

Vitamin B makes gums and teeth strong and prevents cracks and ulcers from appearing in the mouth. It is found in asparagus, garlic, buckwheat porridge, wholemeal bread, milk, lamb, apples, chicken eggs, oatmeal, almonds, Brussels sprouts, and beef.

Vitamin PP prevents the development of stomatitis and gingivitis. It can be found in foods such as beans, yeast, buckwheat, beef liver, pineapple, and beets.

Vitamin E heals wounds on the mucous membrane well. They are rich in peas, bread, sprouted wheat, lettuce, corn, vegetable and butter, dairy products, legumes, and cod.

Vitamin K prevents bleeding gums. There is a lot of it in avocado, pumpkin, cabbage, carrots, soybeans, tomatoes, bananas, spinach, cucumbers, rose hips, and dairy products.

If your gums are bleeding and bad breath causes discomfort, then the best remedy in this case is carrot juice. You should drink it in the morning before meals, and within a few days your gums will become healthier.

How to get rid of bad breath

It’s nice to have fresh breath when you don’t have to constantly control your distance when communicating and think: does your breath smell or not, and does your interlocutor feel it, and do your loved ones suffer from this?

A person who is confident in the freshness of his breath feels freer and more relaxed in a conversation.

But what should those who suffer from halitosis (bad breath) do?

Smell from the mouth?

First of all, to answer this question, let's look at the possible causes of bad breath.

One of the most common and most significant reasons is the presence of diseases of the oral cavity itself, i.e. teeth, tongue and gums.

The second most common cause is throat diseases.

The third place is occupied by diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

And much less often, halitosis accompanies common chronic diseases.

I will dwell on the last three reasons very briefly, due to the nature of my profession, but I will definitely tell you how to navigate and where to go to get rid of bad breath.

So let's start with the teeth. And let's answer the question:

Are carious teeth the cause of bad breath?

For some reason, it so happened that the main opinion among patients about the causes of bad breath was the opinion that the cause was unhealthy teeth. This is a deep misconception.

Firstly, single carious cavities rarely produce a noticeable odor from the mouth to others. I would like to note that it is to those around us, since the people around us tell us what we smell, and we ourselves cannot objectively assess what our breath smells like. It is rare for a person to notice a persistent and persistent odor himself. Bad breath from the presence of carious cavities can occur, but the smell, even if it is a very large carious cavity, is rare. Periodontitis teeth (teeth in which for some reason have died or a nerve has been removed) can cause bad breath during an exacerbation period, that is, when they begin to hurt frequently or constantly. The smell from such a tooth can be noticed by others, although rarely. When opening (drilling) such a tooth in the dentist's chair, the smell can be very strong. Almost every Russian has at least one periodontitis tooth in his mouth, but this does not mean in any case the presence of halitosis, because the smell is usually those teeth in which the nerve itself has died due to the deep spread of the carious process, and those with a large, and more often , just a huge carious cavity. It smells exactly like the “corpse” of a nerve (to put it figuratively and colorfully). Also, carious cavities located in the interdental spaces, and therefore near the gums, can smell more than others. Here the cause of the smell will not be the carious cavity itself, but the gums, inflamed as a result of injury from constant food ingestion.

The dentist deals with all these problems. You yourself are often unable to distinguish between periodontitis and caries. You should contact your dentist with these questions, because bad breath is not the worst thing that carious teeth can cause. The presence of any chronic infection in the body, including caries, is dangerous with more serious consequences: from heart disease to kidney amyloidosis.

Now let's move on to the most common cause of odor, which is inflammation of the marginal gums. Don't let the word marginal scare you. This is the gum that surrounds the tooth and somehow touches it. In medical language, these diseases of the marginal gums are called gingivitis and periodontitis.

The cause of bad breath is inflamed gums (gingivitis, periodontitis).

Gingivitis. The cause is soft plaque.

Periodontitis. The cause is tartar.

The cause of the odor in these cases is bleeding of the gums that develops as a result of inflammation. Please note that in this case it is not the decomposing food that smells, but the microscopic blood clots formed during bleeding, which are rich food and a favorable habitat for a large number of microorganisms, the waste products of which are foul gases. The bleeding itself, if periodic small discharges of blood from the gums can be called that, is not even noticed by all patients, but the smell is persistent and noticeable. The “golden” rule of the oral cavity is that where there is blood, there is smell.

I wrote in detail about the causes of gum inflammation in the articles: “Bleeding gums”, “Which paste is better to brush your teeth” and “Irrigator”. They also contain ways to treat these diseases. In this article I will briefly repeat myself.

The causes of gum inflammation are:

1. The presence of soft plaque and tartar.

2. Incorrectly installed crowns, dentures and fillings.

3. Chronic trauma to the gums in the interdental space due to the presence of a carious cavity in this place or an overhanging edge of the filling.

How to get rid of bad breath in this case?

The very first and surest remedy is thorough and regular oral hygiene. It is necessary to constantly and promptly clean problem areas of the gums. To do this, I highly recommend that you use a waterpik.

Secondly, it will be necessary to find out from the dentist the causes of injury and, consequently, inflammation of the gums and, if possible, eliminate them.

Patients can often cure gum inflammation on their own. The main thing is to understand the reasons.

Bad breath - due to gum inflammation?

You can do a little test. To do this, you need to take your toothbrush (preferably an old one with softer bristles, or a brush with thin bristles and an increased number of hairs, for example, Colgate Total Pro Gum Health, TePe Supreme), moisten it with water and brush all the teeth with a brushing motion. from the gum to the tooth, that is, from top to bottom for the upper jaw and from bottom to top for the lower jaw. Do not use toothpaste! And then smell it and see if there is blood on it. In this case, even a slight odor or bleeding of the gums and their location are often determined. It is better not to perform this test immediately after sleep or immediately after eating.

Is stomatitis the cause of bad breath?

Stomatitis

The next cause of the smell, as I said above, may be inflammation of the tongue and/or oral mucosa. The smell appears in some types of stomatitis, when ulcers appear on the mucous membranes of the cheeks, lips, tongue and palate. These diseases usually do not go unnoticed by patients, so, naturally, they are not ignored and treated. The smell disappears immediately after scarring of the mucosal defects. Stomatitis in adults is a fairly rare occurrence, so this cause of odor can be discounted.

The next most common cause of bad breath is the throat. These are chronic inflammations of the tonsils, that is, chronic sore throats. The smell occurs as a result of the retention of food in the lacunae of the tonsils (these are dimples on the tonsils) and the development of pathological microflora. An ENT doctor will tell you more about the causes of sore throat and treatment methods. Throat diseases sometimes give a very strong odor, which practically does not decrease either after brushing the teeth or after rinsing the mouth. They will not go away even after treatment of the entire oral cavity by a dentist.

How can you tell if the cause of bad breath is inflammation of the tonsils?

I suggest one more small test. It is necessary to carry out it if you are told that you currently have bad breath and you are convinced that the cause is not the teeth and gums. So, take 3% hydrogen peroxide, put it in your mouth once and gargle, then ask people close to you if the smell has gone away. If the smell has gone away or noticeably decreased, you need to visit an ENT doctor for recommendations.

As for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), you can find out the cause of bad breath associated with the presence of GIT diseases only from a therapist or gastroenterologist. I will name only some diseases that can cause persistent halitosis: esophageal diverticulum (this is a “pouch”-hernia on the wall of the esophagus, which occurs as a result of pathology of the muscular wall, into which food gets and can linger there for a very long time, causing processes of rotting and fermentation and, accordingly, smell), gastritis with reduced secretion of gastric juice, liver disease and colitis.

The causes of bad breath can be serious liver diseases, diabetes, chronic lung diseases and some others. Your therapist will tell you more about them.

What to do if you notice bad breath?

The first thing is to try to determine the cause yourself by performing the above tests and improve hygiene. See the articles “Irrigator”, “Bleeding Gums” and “Tartar Removal”. If independent measures do not help, then there is no need to postpone your visit to the dentist. If the dentist shrugs his shoulders, then in the very near future you need to see a therapist and an ENT doctor so as not to miss the onset of a more serious pathology.

If any difficulties arise, I can consult you in person by appointment. Consultations are free. I wish you fresh breath!

What is gingivitis?

The most common gum disease accompanied by redness and bleeding is gingivitis, the symptoms and treatment of which we will discuss below. Its chronic form is extremely difficult to get rid of. At an early stage, this disease does not cause any trouble, but after a while some discomfort appears.

Gingivitis is an inflammation of the gums that is characterized by redness, bleeding and swelling. Its symptoms are: pain when chewing food, itching in the area of ​​inflammation, bad breath. The acute course of the disease is manifested by severe pain and sharp redness of the gums. If this is a chronic form, then the symptoms worsen in the fall and spring, but not too much. There is some discomfort, but quite tolerable. Bleeding may increase slightly.

How is gingivitis treated?

Only a qualified dentist can determine the symptoms and treatment of this disease. The fact is that the signs of the disease are similar to those that accompany periodontitis, periodontal disease and stomatitis, so self-medication is not recommended. It is much better to take the time and pay a visit to the clinic.

Gingivitis can be treated fairly quickly at an early stage. The acute form disappears in 10 days. The chronic stage requires longer treatment. The doctor must prescribe a complex of vitamins to boost immunity. The periodontist can also prescribe vitamin injections (“Cyanocobalamin”, “Lincomycin”) and lidocaine. Vitamins relieve symptoms, and lidocaine reduces pain.

Sometimes this disease is treated with antibiotics, which are most effective in the acute stage. In addition, they prevent the development of complications.

Also used for treatment are ointments and gels that relieve inflammation and alleviate symptoms. By covering the gums with a thin film, they help protect it from temperature and chemical irritants.

Why does a tooth bleed?

The situation when a tooth bleeds is familiar to everyone. According to WHO, 100% of adults have caries, and 15-20% are diagnosed with severe periodontal diseases. The cause is not always pathological, but it is impossible to identify it on your own. If your gums are inflamed or your teeth are bleeding, the dentist will determine the treatment. Doctors at Dr. Granov’s clinic not only relieve tooth pain and bleeding, but also eliminate its cause.

Reasons why a tooth bleeds

Droplets of blood appear when brushing with a brush that is too hard, when injured with sharp objects, even while taking certain medications, such as aspirin. But these reasons are related to the gum, and not the tooth itself. Often, already at the appointment, the patient complains of tooth bleeding, but the doctor sees that the source of concern is the gums.

But in some cases, the cause is actually inside the tooth, which is bleeding due to:

• granulations - loose bleeding tissue that fills the carious cavity and gum pocket;
• inflamed pulp - connective tissue inside the tooth, penetrated by nerves and blood vessels.

Diseases that cause teeth to bleed

Bleeding manifests itself as a complication of caries. It accompanies the following pathologies:

• periodontitis - inflammation of the tissues surrounding the tooth and holding it in the socket, accompanied by the formation of granulations;
• chronic pulpitis - inflammation of the pulp of tissues in which blood vessels and nerves pass;
• dental abscess - the formation of a purulent cavity in it, which destroys the vessels of the pulp.

Timely treatment of inflamed tissues prevents their further destruction.
If overgrown bleeding areas of the pulp or periodontal tissue are left unattended, the inflammation spreads to the bone or even provokes the development of a tumor.

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Teeth are bleeding: what to do

It is impossible to independently determine the cause of bleeding. All the more dangerous are attempts at self-medication. Trauma or cauterization of inflamed areas sometimes becomes an impetus for the formation of a tumor. Therefore, when a tooth or gum bleeds, all manipulations must be carried out by a dentist.

At Dr. Granov’s clinic, doctors use instrumental and hardware methods to diagnose any pathologies of the teeth and periodontium - the tissues that support it in the socket.

Use of medicinal herbs

A decoction of oak helps in this case. The product has an anti-inflammatory and astringent effect. The result is usually noticed immediately, but the problem can be completely eliminated only after 2 weeks of intensive rinsing.

Chamomile has a wound healing and antimicrobial effect. To prepare the decoction, take 2 tbsp. l. flowers, pour a glass of boiling water and leave for 20 minutes. You should rinse your mouth twice a day.

Another highly effective anti-inflammatory agent is sage. It helps eliminate swelling and relieve gum soreness. To prepare the infusion, 2 tbsp. l. The herbs are brewed with a glass of boiling water, left for a couple of hours, and then rinsed out. The course is until complete recovery.

Nettle is considered a wonderful hemostatic plant, so it is used for intense bleeding. It is brewed in the same way as sage and used for rinsing 2 times a day.

Pharmacy products for the treatment of bleeding gums

If your gums bleed, what should you do? At home, various modern products sold in pharmacies are often used. These can be toothpastes and gels.

Toothpastes specially designed to treat bleeding gums contain anti-inflammatory components that reduce tissue swelling, eliminate soreness and promote healing. We are talking about such pharmaceutical products as Lakalut Active and Lakalut Phytoformula. The first paste is prohibited from being used for a long time - it is used as an “ambulance”, and the second is good for preventive purposes.

If your gums bleed and bad breath persists for a long time, dentists advise paying attention to special gels. They are applied directly to the gums, allowing the gel to easily penetrate the tissue. The effect occurs very quickly - pain goes away, bleeding stops and swelling is eliminated. The most common remedy is Cholisal gel.

Using antibiotics to treat gums

If no means help eliminate the problem, then antibiotics come to the rescue. For gum inflammation caused by various microorganisms, the following medications are used:

• "Metronidazole".
• "Lincomycin."
• "Clindamycin."
• "Nomitsin".
• "Siflox."
• "Tarivid."

Antibiotics for gum inflammation should be used only as prescribed by a doctor; self-medication is strictly prohibited. Such drugs are indicated only for the treatment of moderate and severe forms of periodontitis. Antibiotics are prescribed immediately or during the removal of tartar.

Preventive measures

If your gums bleed and bad breath prevents you from living normally, this is, of course, a problem. It’s better not to bring yourself to this state, but the following preventive measures will help:

• after eating you need to brush your teeth;
• It is recommended to use dental floss, which carefully removes food debris between the teeth;
• the menu must contain raw vegetables and fruits, especially those rich in vitamin C;
• After brushing your teeth, you must use a mouthwash to prevent the formation of tartar;
• It is best to quit smoking;
• It is necessary to visit a dentist, who can detect the disease at an early stage and begin treatment.

When a visit to the dentist should be urgent

The appearance of an unpleasant odor from under dental structures is accompanied by additional symptoms. There is no need to delay your visit to the doctor.

Reasons to urgently consult a doctor:

1. Mobility, complete or partial destruction of the crown.
2. Pain – sharp, dull, aching, shooting, when biting, when brushing teeth, when exposed to thermal irritants.
3. Change in gum color - hyperemia, cyanosis, swelling.
4. Suppuration from under the crown, gums, formation of fistula tracts.
5. Recurrent episodes of sinusitis.
6. Numbness of the tongue, strange taste in the mouth.
7. General weakness, fever, enlarged lymph nodes.
8. Formation of a galvanic couple due to different prosthetic materials. Accompanied by a metallic taste in the mouth and electrical impulses.

But even if nothing besides amber bothers you, then consult a dentist. A bad odor indicates the proliferation of bacterial flora. And the appearance of pain or pus is a matter of time.