Fight bad breath; preventing gum disease?
Gum disease? You’d know if you had it surely? Well, many people suffer from gum disease and the effects of it without even knowing. But don’t be scared, while it should be taken seriously, gum disease is a well-researched area of dentistry and a manageable condition for the majority. Symptoms of gum disease could be swollen or painful gums that may lead to bleeding, particularly noticeable when brushing your teeth. Well a little blood when we spit out the toothpaste is normal right? No this is one of the early signs of gum disease and cannot be ignored. The other thing that can be unpleasant to think about is bad breath. More than just a case of coffee breath it can actually be a sign that something is out of place in your mouth and needs addressing. So let’s look at what we can do here at Old Windsor to help you tackle gum disease and that bad breath in Berkshire.
When does gum disease develop?
Most of us at some point in our life will be affected by gum disease and unfortunately therefore bad breath in Berkshire in one way or another, we at Old Windsor are very well aware of this. It boils down to that irritating, persistent nemesis of dentists, plaque! Plaque contains bacteria, when left unattended this sticks around in your mouth getting into all those hard to reach places around your teeth and gums. When left for longer then it should this bacteria leads to something more serious gum disease. Now we know the source of this enemy we can fight back. Let’s look at how.
Know the symptoms and know how to treat them
Our team can help you understand all the symptoms of gum disease but simply put it includes; swollen or painful gums, tender gums and as mentioned blood in our mouth after brushing or eating. You may hear these early stages referred to as gingivitis. Bad breath is often a symptom of gingivitis so eliminating the cause will of course eliminate the potentially embarrassing symptom.
Kill the enemy plaque?
Get strict with yourself and stick to an excellent oral healthcare routine. Brush well and regularly. This means a bare minimum of twice a day, ideally after meals to reduce the chance of building up plaque. Actively pay attention to the hard to reach places in your mouth when brushing and flossing, the back of your teeth, the tongue and any teeth that are set back slightly from the others. All these areas require particular attention. As we mentioned plaque is what promotes bacteria and bacteria leads to gum disease so a good quality antibacterial mouthwash will help you fight these symptoms including bad breath in Berkshire.
Can it get any worse?
Don’t ignore the symptoms, gingivitis when left untreated can lead to more serious conditions such as periodontitis. At this stage, the small symptoms become much more serious, including but not limited to; painful abscesses in your mouth, loose teeth and loss of bone density in your jaw and cheek. How important then if these symptoms persist that you contact our team here Old Windsor and book your consultation. We are as keen as you are to set you on the right path to better oral health.
