What are the symptoms of gingivitis?

Dental health has a great impact on people's bodies, especially the gums which are very sensitive. Gum health problems often cause people to suffer great pain, because the gum tissue is very weak and can be easily irritated and become inflamed. The pain caused by inflammation is often very intense. Let's take a look at the symptoms of gingivitis. I hope you all understand.

Symptoms and causes of gingivitis

The dental plaque accumulated at the gum-tooth junction and the harmful substances therein act on the gums for a long time, causing inflammation. In addition, the presence of tartar, poor restorations, food impaction, misaligned and crowded teeth, and mouth breathing aggravate the accumulation of plaque and gum inflammation. The proportion of cocci among the main pathogens decreased compared with the healthy state, while the proportion of motile bacteria and spirochetes increased. The number of Gram-negative bacteria increased significantly, with Actinomycetes, Peptostreptococcus, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Prevotella intermedia being the dominant bacteria.

Clinical manifestations

1. Subjective symptoms

The gums often bleed when brushing teeth or biting hard objects. Some patients may experience symptoms such as local itching, swelling, discomfort and bad breath of the gums.

2. Local manifestations

The free gingiva and gingival papillae are bright red or dark red. In severe cases, the inflammatory congestion may extend to the attached gingiva; the gingival tissue is swollen, the gingival margin becomes thicker, the interdental papillae are rounded and blunt, no longer closely attached to the tooth surface, the stippling disappears, and the surface becomes shiny; the gums become soft and fragile, lack elasticity, and sometimes become hard and thick; the gingival sulcus can be probed to more than 3 cm; bleeding may occur upon slight probing of the gingival sulcus; and the exudate in the gingival sulcus increases.

treat

1. Local treatment

Eliminate the cause, use scaling to remove tartar, control plaque, and correct all factors that cause plaque retention and irritation to the gums. The inflammation of the gums will disappear within a few days to a week, collagen fibers will be regenerated in the connective tissue, and the color, shape, and texture of the gums will return to normal.

2. Topical medication

When the gingival inflammation is severe, local medication can be used: 1% hydrogen peroxide solution and 0.12%~0.2% chlorhexidine (chlorhexidine) and iodine preparations.

3. Systemic medication

Systemic antibiotics should not be used in patients with gingivitis without systemic comorbidities.