Inflamed gums

Inflamed gums

Bleeding gums problem

Healthy gums have a pink colour and lie firmly around the teeth. Healthy gums are attached to the teeth; only at the edge of the gums is a narrow, undeep space between the gums and the teeth. This space is called a pocket and is no more than 3 mm deep in healthy gums. Healthy gums should not bleed while brushing, eating or cleaning with toothpicks, for example. Inflamed gums can be red, flabby and swollen. It can also bleed when brushing or eating. But this does not always happen. So if your gums don't bleed when brushing or eating, it doesn't mean the gums are healthy.

How do you get gingivitis?

Most people do not  completely remove plaque, a sticky layer of bacteria, from their teeth. This is how gum disease begins. Fortunately, gingivitis usually doesn't damage the gums or the jawbone underneath. The result is inflammation of the gums, also known as gingivitis.

With some people, gum disease leads to damage in the long run. First, the gums come loose from the teeth and the pocket, the narrow space between gums and teeth, becomes deeper. A layer of dental plaque and often also tartar forms in this deeper pocket. This is how the inflammation finally reaches the jawbone. The jawbone, that holds the teeth and molars, is broken down as a result. This is called periodontitis. When you get periodontitis, so much jawbone can eventually be lost that the teeth become loose and eventually fall out. Periodontitis can affect your general health. Sometimes medical treatments are not posible until the periodontal infection has been treated. We will therefore always ask you about your general health in detail.

What can be done about bleeding gums?

Gingivitis treatment means removing plaque. First you must keep the teeth perfectly clean yourself with the help of interdental brushes and an electric toothbrush with a round brush head. Tartar is the reason that the plaque cannot be completely removed. That is why it is important that not only the dental plaque, but also any tartar present is removed from the teeth. If your pockets have become very deep or if they cannot be easily reached, plaque and tartar may remain after professional dental cleaning. The gums remain inflamed and the pockets remain too deep. In order to be able to really clean those pockets, it is necessary to give you an operation. Such an operative treatment is called a flap operation. During a flap operation, the gums are made loose from the teeth under local anaesthesia. This makes the plaque and tartar much more visible and easier to reach for removal. After cleaning, the gums are stitched back around the teeth. The gums will then heal and completely stick to the teeth. There are then no more pockets that are too deep. Flap surgery can also stop periodontal disease that has gone too far. Good daily oral hygiene can stop periodontitis from happening again.