Are Your Gums Inflamed? 5 Reasons They May Be
No matter how careful you are about brushing and flossing regularly, it’s still possible that you’ll end up with gum problems. The best bet against this issue is to not only worry about your home oral care, but to visit California Dental Group regularly for cleanings and exams.
How common is gum disease?
When your gums are inflamed, it’s not always due to gum disease. That said, it’s important to understand how common gum disease is and how serious it can be. Take these stats: The Centers for Disease Control say that nearly half of Americans have gum disease in some form. Remember that this can be very minor or it can be serious. It’s the top reason to keep an eye on inflammation of your gums. However, read on to learn about some of the other reasons that you may have inflamed gums.
- Tobacco
- There’s an issue with your nutrition
- Medications could case it
- Improper home care
- You haven’t seen your dentist in a while
There’s no way around it: Smoking can cause harm to virtually every part of your body. If you’re a smoker then you already know this, but remember that it affects your teeth and gums too. If you’re a chewer or you take part in any other “smokeless” type of tobacco usage, remember that this can cause gum disease and inflammation as well.
Of course, any doctor or medical professional is going to encourage their patients to eat a balanced diet that has lots of fruits and veggies. However, you may not realize that certain vitamin deficiencies can affect your oral health. For example, if you a deficiency in either Vitamin C or D, then it could be the cause of your inflamed gums. Vitamin C is a natural anti-inflammatory, and it also boosts your immune system. Vitamin D can help prevent mouth infections.
If you’ve recently changed medications and noticed that shortly after that, your gums became inflamed and starting bleeding, then your new meds could be the case. There are a host of relatively common medications that can lead to inflammation as a side effect, including drugs to control seizures, certain birth control pills, and some blood pressure medications. Any medication that thins your blood can also make your gums more sensitive, which could cause them to bleed more easily.
If you’re not brushing and flossing enough, then you likely already know and you likely know that it may be the culprit of inflamed gums. That said, if you’re brushing at least twice a day and flossing daily, then you may assume that your home routine is fine. This may not be the case! If you brush or floss too vigorously it can actually injure your gums.
How long has it been since you made an appointment with a California dentist? If it’s been more than six months then you may simply be in need of a comprehensive exam. If that’s the case, reach out to California Dental Group at (800) 407-0161 right away to get started.
