Introduction
Inflammations in the mouth, especially on the gums, are not always painful. At first the patient may notice an unpleasant feeling, later redness or swelling may become visible. Due to a very slow development of the inflammation, pain is not always developed.
Not all patients go to a dentist, but first consult their family doctor or dermatologist. Neither of them can make a reliable diagnosis of inflammation of the gums and then not treat the causes. Their treatment often consists only of an antibacterial mouth rinse and perhaps a referral to the dentist.
Definition
Gingivitis is the technical term for inflammation of the gums. Gingivitis is a preliminary stage of periodontitis. Periodontitis is an inflammation of the periodontium.
Gingivitis can develop into periodontitis, but this is not absolutely necessary. Inflammation of the gums is an infection of the gums, which manifests itself both chronically and with acute attacks. There are different degrees of severity or different forms of gingivitis.
In the case of severe gingivitis, gum pockets can develop, but these pockets recede during treatment. Only when bone loss has occurred in the course of the inflammation, the gum pockets can remain. One speaks then already of a Parodontitis.
Symptoms- An overview
Healthy gums have a pink color and are not reddened or swollen. In people of African descent, the gums may also be darker in color and may have a kind of pigmentation mark. If an inflammation of the gums is present, it is manifested by
- Redness
- Swelling
- Pain
- Pain/bleeding when brushing teeth
- Pain/bleeding when biting off hard food
- Bad breath (halitosis)
- Exposed tooth necks
- Pain when eating hot, cold, sweet food
- Possible pus formation
Acutely inflamed gums sometimes cause pain.
However, this depends on the individual person and the severity of the inflammation. The quality of the pain is often pulling and increases when the area is touched by food. Ice helps to temporarily relieve the pain through its cold.
Heat, on the other hand, increases the pain. The pain in the wisdom tooth region is extremely strong. During the eruption, gum pockets behind the last tooth often occur.
Bacteria multiply quickly and cause inflammation. Since it is difficult to clean these areas satisfactorily, many doctors recommend having the wisdom teeth removed in case of recurring inflammation in this region. If the pain changes to a dull throbbing character, pus may have formed.
Since pus can spread, it is important to have this clarified by the dentist. There the cause will be eliminated as soon as possible so that the teeth are not damaged. If gingivitis has existed for a long period of time, it is called chronic.
This form is sometimes accompanied by toothache. The cause can be a receding gum. The inflammation then causes an exposed tooth neck, where the root of the tooth is now directly exposed to the oral cavity.
A strong pulling pain then occurs with warm or hot food. The pain can be alleviated by sealing the root surface and using toothpastes specially made for this problem. Sometimes gum inflammation can also be caused by caries, which is the actual cause of the toothache.
If an inflammation of the gums occurs together with pus, it can be caused by several factors. Mostly a dead tooth nerve is hidden behind it. Even worse diseases like osteomyelitis cause pus to form.
Pus blisters should not simply be squeezed with the fingers. Germs and pathogens can get into the wound and make an inflammation even worse. Under no circumstances should it be used for fun.
Pus can usually spread strongly and then cause more serious diseases. However, the dentist can help here and fight the cause by removing the pus with sterile instruments. A fistula on a tooth is a tubular connection between a diseased tooth root and the oral cavity.
It is caused by an inflamed tooth root when the body tries to fight the disease.Pus then forms, which is pushed through the tissue and then empties into the oral cavity, creating this connection. Initially this process is often painless. Only later does a feeling of pressure develop, which gradually turns into a localized pain.
After pus has been discharged, the pain sometimes subsides for a short time. Then, however, it should not be forgotten that the destruction of the tissue continues to progress. Dental treatment is urgently needed here.
Swollen lymph nodes are caused by pathogens and indicate that the immune system is activated and is fighting a disease. Since it usually takes a certain amount of time for the nodes to become very swollen and noticeable, this symptom only occurs in chronic gum inflammation. However, this should be examined immediately by a doctor, as swelling of the lymph nodes in the head and neck area can also be caused by many other diseases.
Gingivitis is often accompanied by aphthae. This is a damage to the mucous membrane, which is surrounded by an inflamed, red seam. The affected area burns when touched or when drinking.
Depending on their size, they are divided into minor and major aphthae. The cause is not known exactly. Doctors assume that several factors play a role in its development, and a genetic component is also being discussed. The healing process takes about 10 days without treatment, in case of larger inflammations sometimes even several weeks.
