When thinking about the oral cavity, you might imagine your teeth and tongue as a red cave waiting all by themselves to help you eat and stay alive—there’s also a chance that you named the pharynx. However, thanks to ever-improving microscopy techniques, we know that not everything is visible to the naked eye. Gave you a bit of a hint? Yes—don’t forget the bacteria that live in your mouth, along with many other microorganisms.
It might be surprising to learn that after the gut, the oral cavity has the largest microbiome in the body. Microorganisms ranging from bacteria to fungi use the soft and hard tissues in the oral cavity as their habitat and help you maintain oral health. However, there are also opportunistic pathogens that can lead to the development of a variety of oral diseases. Two of the most prevalent diseases that can lead to teeth loss are gingivitis and periodontitis. If gingivitis is left untreated, it can potentially develop into periodontitis.
What is gingivitis?
Gingivitis is a disease characterized by gum inflammation, redness, and bleeding—this is why it’s important to make sure your gums don’t bleed when you brush or floss. In fact, the underlying reason behind the development of gingivitis also goes back to your brushing and flossing habits.
Insufficient brushing and flossing give food debris and bacteria a better chance of staying in your mouth and using the teeth as their habitat. This leads to the generation of dental plaque, which forms on the teeth and includes food debris, bacteria, and even dead cells. But the generation of dental plaque isn’t the problem here—dental plaques are formed continually throughout our lives. If dental plaques are removed by sufficient brushing every day, then the chances of developing gingivitis decrease significantly.
Another reason why it’s important to brush and floss twice a day is to prevent the formation of tartar. What’s a tartar, you ask? Tartar is what happens when dental plaques are not removed from the mouth and start hardening to a point where they can no longer be removed by brushing or flossing. As a rule of thumb, tartar develops if dental plaque is not removed for around 72 hours after it’s initially deposited on the teeth.
How do I prevent gingivitis and periodontal diseases?
Brush and floss! As simple as it may sound, as long as you prevent the formation of tartar, you’ll be fine for the most part. More specifically, when you rid your teeth of the newly formed dental plaque, the gingiva (gum tissue) will be kept intact and in place. If not, the gums will slowly start separating from your teeth which allows for the formation of pockets that can be colonized by bacteria. If left untreated, these bacteria can then damage your bone tissue and other tissues that support the teeth.
How do I check the health of my gums?
Visit the dentist regularly—it’s even better to visit a periodontist if you specifically want to check your gums. But if you want to check the health of your gums at home, then there are a few factors you can keep an eye on as you brush your teeth or floss. However, remember that visiting the dentist or periodontist will provide you with a more thorough diagnosis.
Some factors to watch out for are the following:
- Look for changes. Do you feel like your gingiva is separating from your teeth? It may sound like a simple question, but it’s best if you ask your dentist to check your “gum pocket measurements.” Dentists have tools they can use to measure the separation of your gum from your teeth by inserting those tools under your gum. That way they will also check whether your teeth are kept intact even in the deeper parts of your gum that can’t be checked from outside. In some cases, you can also check whether your teeth look longer than before and whether they’re less covered by your gums.
- Look for pain. Well, you don’t have to specifically check this one—you would simply feel it. Keep an eye on how your gums feel when you touch them, and how your teeth feel as you chew. If you happen to feel pain while chewing, or if your gums feel tender and painful to the touch, it’s a good idea to visit a dentist.
- Colour check. There is a huge difference between the colour of healthy gum compared to diseased gum, but this varies from person to person. However, you might look into the mirror and realize that your gums look redder than usual or even purplish, which may be a sign of disease development. Besides the colour of your gums, you can also check whether you spit out blood when you floss or brush.
What are the risk factors of periodontal disease?
Nowadays periodontists are trying to develop personalized periodontal care. This means that they would look for factors that differ from patient to patient such as their genetics, oral microbiome composition, immune system, epigenetics, and even lifestyle. When it comes to periodontal care, the debate of “nature vs. nurture” holds here just like it does in any other health condition.
With the growing knowledge on the field of genetics, scientists have found that some people are more genetically susceptible to developing periodontal diseases even if they rigorously monitor their oral care habits and lifestyle. Besides the genes themselves, epigenetics also seems to play a role in the prevalence of periodontal disease, which is again a person-specific factor.
When it comes to lifestyle, brushing and flossing are not the only determinants of healthy teeth and gum. Smoking is one major habit that has the potential to systematically affect one’s oral health. Many studies have shown that periodontal diseases are more prevalent amongst smokers compared to those who don’t smoke. Smokers who want to minimize their risk of periodontal disease can consider planning a cessation regimen.
With all the basic information provided above, it’s important to acknowledge that periodontal diseases result from complex inter-plays between many factors such as the immune system, genetics, microbiota, and personal habits, and that their development can’t always be easily monitored at home. After all, it’s always best to have a routine of regular flossing and brushing your teeth, as well as visiting your dentist regularly. That way, you can ensure the health of your gums and keep the sneaky bacteria away.
