How do I get rid of gingivitis?

When you’re savoring a meal or munching on a snack, it’s pretty distasteful to visualize the soft, sticky film of bacteria that’s getting a grip on your teeth. Nevertheless, it’s always there, poised and ready to form a layer called plaque all around your teeth, between them, and even under your gum line. If you don’t brush or floss the film away, it will harden into a substance called tartar, which will eventually irritate your gums and cause them to turn red, swell, and even bleed.

These are warning signs of early gum disease, or gingivitis. Plaque is the number one cause of gingivitis, which is responsible for at least 80 percent of dental problems in adults. In fact, nearly 85 percent of the population has some form of gingivitis.

In the early stages, gingivitis is reversible as long as you conscientiously clean your teeth at home and visit your dentist a couple of times a year for professional cleanings. Untreated, gingivitis can lead to periodontitis, an advanced stage of gum disease that causes receding gums, pockets forming between the teeth and gums, infection, loss of bone, and, finally, tooth loss.

Your best weapons against gum disease are a soft-bristle toothbrush, fluoride toothpaste, and dental floss. To prevent plaque buildup, brush your teeth after every meal and floss at least once a day. Follow that with regular visits to your dentist, and you should be fine, says Meena Shah, D.D.S., a dentist in Lake Grove, New York.

If you’re already practicing good dental hygiene, but your gums are still a little inflamed and bleed periodically, visit your dentist. Meanwhile, you can make some choices about your diet that can reduce the progression of gingivitis.

Eat lots of high-fiber foods, such as fruits and vegetables, and less sugar-laden fare, says Dr. Shah. Dietary fiber acts as a cleaning agent for your teeth. Sugary foods such as cookies, cake, and candy and sticky foods like raisins increase plaque buildup on your teeth and breed bacteria, she says.

Supplements can help, too. Taking extra vitamin C, folic acid, and other nutrients can rev up your immune system to battle the infection, reduce inflammation, and stop the bleeding. Certain medicinal herbs such as echinacea can also boost immunity as well as heal and strengthen damaged gum tissue. Here’s how the supplement lineup can help keep your gums and teeth in tip-top shape.

You'll know that you have Gingivitis if your gums bleed during toothbrushing and/or if the gingiva has become red and/or enlarged.

Gingivitis is the inflammation of the gingiva and mainly due to the continuous presence of plaque on your teeth. So, If you brushed your teeth and also flossed effectively, then you'll no more have Gingivitis. But sometimes, the plaque on the gingiva is even in the Subgingival areas (behind your gums) and in this case they have to be taken away by the dentist using an easy procedure called "Scaling and Root Planning" in conjunction with you brushing and flossing your teeth and that will most probably do it!

Treatment

A dentist or dental hygienist will perform a thorough cleaning of the teeth and gums. Following that, persistent oral hygiene is necessary. The removal of plaque and calculus is usually not painful, and the inflammation of the gums should be gone between one and two weeks. Oral hygiene including proper brushing and flossing is required to prevent the recurrence of gingivitis. Anti-bacterial rinses or mouthwash may reduce the swelling and local mouth gels which are usually antiseptic and anaesthetic can also help.

Brush brush brush ... floss floss floss... twice a day.. after every meal if possible. I just had full mouth periodontal work done because I have gingivitis. Root Scaleing and Planing to be exact.. IT HURTS (like a B****)!!!! and it's EXPENSIVE!! (Unless you have $500 to hand over) Get your gingivitis under control! I have a tooth brush and dental floss in my bed room, by the computer, in my coat pocket, in my work box, in my truck and in my bathroom. I use it ALL THE TIME NOW. It's not cureable but manageable

If your gums bleed when you brush them or are darker red instead of pink, usually you need to go to the dentist and get a prescription for really strong mouthwash, i dont think the store stuff does it. Then when it is all gone brush and use mouthwash, ginivitis develops from repeatedly neglecting to clean your teeth not overnight.

Brush 2-3 times a day and use dental floss every day. It's the dental floss that can greatly improve your gums and stop any bleeding.

Dentist

your gums will bleed when you brush and will be

really red! Just brush real good which is about 2 min. twice a day! at night before you go to bed rinse your mouth with phos phlur(not sure thats how you spell it though) You can find it like at walmart or your local grocery store! don't eat or drink after you rinse though!

floss brush 3x day

i used to date a dentist and when he brushed his teeth it was for at least 5 minutes each time

If your gums bleed you might have it.Go to the Dentist for a check up cleaning.