How Common Is My Gingivitis? That’s The Wrong Question

What we are going to say now, though, is that the percentage really doesn’t matter a great deal – as UK demographics change and the population ages there is every chance that 54% will move closer to 60%. That, though, doesn’t really affect you, the individual who is perhaps wondering whether you have gingivitis or not.

If your gums are inflamed, if they bleed when you brush or floss, then there is a high likelihood that you do have gingivitis or some other periodontal condition. There is no shame in this and it is not necessarily a sign that you have willfully and flagrantly neglected your oral hygiene.
It is instead simply a condition that is hard to go through life avoiding. Any dental hygienist will have dealt with gingivitis and related conditions hundreds or thousands of times; it is a routine treatment for them.

The fact that gingivitis is so common can lead, though, to a false sense of security.
If it is so common it can’t be too bad, right? Wrong.
Gingivitis itself may not do long-term damage, although bleeding, painful gums are not really something to be living with, and neither is the likely accompaniment of halitosis (bad breath).

Maintaining Your Dental Health

Hopefully, these small improvements to dental hygiene combined with regular visits to your hygienist will keep you happily gingivitis free. One thing we should add here is that gingivitis cannot effectively be treated at home. You can certainly improve your own dental hygiene by brushing better and using the right mouthwash, however, you cannot perform the deeper clean that removes all the hardened plaque (tartar).

It goes without saying that periodontitis cannot be treated at home. Nor can it be self-diagnosed; and therein lies a key reason to always getting bleeding gums checked out. It’s so important for your health to find out whether you have common old gingivitis or the more serious periodontitis.

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