What You Need to Know about Gum Infection Treatment

An infection can occur in any area of your body including your mouth. Once you realize that there is an infection in your gum, then it is highly crucial to seek prompt gum infection treatment. This will help prevent the situation from becoming worse. Note that a gum infection could signify more serious underlying conditions such as gum disease.

Understanding periodontitis

This is a gum disease that results from infection. It occurs in the area of your mouth between the gums and teeth known as the sulcus. Once it gains a footing, the disease will cause the death of surrounding tissue. This will also result in gum recession and loosening of the tooth. Moreover, the gum will also be exposed to more bacteria resulting in gum infection.

Since healthy gums also have the function of offering support to the teeth, it is highly crucial to ensure good oral hygiene to prevent gum infection.

Symptoms of gum infection

Luckily many Singaporeans understand the importance of good oral hygiene. There are not very many cases of serious gum infection. That said there are still individuals who experience gum infection and left untreated can lead to severe consequences such as loss of teeth.

It is important therefore that you can identify some of the symptoms of gum infection. This will allow you to seek fast medical attention to halt and treat the gum disease.

The symptoms of gum infection include:

• Swollen gums
• Loose teeth
• Pus from the gums
• Bad breath
• Receding gums
• Loosening of the teeth

If you are experiencing any of the above, you must contact a dentist to receive proper diagnosis and treatment of the gum infection.

How gum infection is treated

The treatments available for gum infections depend on how severe your case is. There are several available treatment options in Singapore including:

• • Gingivectomy – this involves taking out of the infected gum tissue
  • Root Planning and scaling- this type of treatment involves cleaning the gum, teeth, and roots of the teeth to get rid of the infection.
  • Flap surgery – this is where the doctor takes pieces of tissue and places them on the gum after cutting off the infected tissue.

• Antibiotic therapy – since most gum infection is caused by bacteria, antibiotics are used for treatment. There are two ways that the doctor may use antibiotics. These include taking a pill or administering antibiotics directly into the infected gum.

 

Preventing gum infection

There is no denying the fact that preventing gum infection is much better than getting treatment. Luckily preventing gum infection is not hard. All you need to do is maintain good oral hygiene through regular brushing and flossing.

You can also gaggle mouthwash to kill bacteria in those hard to reach places.

Daily habits for good oral hygiene include:

Brushing teeth – do this twice a day using fluoride toothpaste. This will help kill off any remaining bacteria around the gum line. This prevents infections and periodontal diseases such as gingivitis. You will also prevent the occurrence of receding gums.

Flossing teeth – food particles that get through those hard to reach areas will invite bacteria which can then result in gum disease. It is important therefore that you floss every day to remove such food particles.

Use mouthwash – flossing may remove most of the food particles in areas between teeth where the toothbrush can’t reach, but to ensure a complete disinfecting of the mouth, it is a good idea to gargle mouth wash. Moreover, mouth wash will also offer other benefits such as whitening teeth, preventing cavities and strengthening the enamel.

Visit your dentist twice a year – visiting your dentist will ensure that you receive a full diagnosis and cleaning to prevent gum infection. The dentist will be able to spot any early signs and treat these before it becomes worse.

Gum infection in children

Note that gum infection can affect children as well as adults. Furthermore, kids are more prone to gingivitis. It is important therefore as a parent to teach your kids good oral hygiene techniques and to instill these into them.

When kids suffer from gum infection, this can make it hard to eat and will affect their overall health. Furthermore, kids need more regular visits to the dentist than adults do.

When getting gum infection treatment, you must do so from a reputable and highly experienced doctor such as Dr Marlene Teo. They can offer quality treatment as well as mitigate the risks involved.

Final thoughts

Gum infection can drastically reduce one’s quality of life. In severe cases, teeth will have to be removed. Preventing gum disease is crucial. Luckily it is also not hard and anyone can do so through regular brushing, daily flossing and using mouthwash. The best type of mouthwash will also offer extra benefits such as teeth whitening.