What do your gums look like? Healthy gums are pink in color, tight around the teeth and do not bleed. Are your gums red, swollen and bleeding when you brush, use a toothpick or when you eat? Then your gums are probably inflamed. The first stage of inflamed gums is called gingivitis. Learn how to prevent and treat inflamed gums.

How do inflamed gums occur?

There are always bacteria in our mouths. These bacteria adhere to the surface of your teeth. This is how they form a sticky layer. This layer is called plaque. Even if you don’t eat or drink, a layer of plaque forms every day. The bacteria in the plaque can cause inflammation along the edges of your gums. This inflammation is called gingivitis.

How do you recognize gingivitis?

You can easily recognize gingivitis yourself. When inflamed, your gums are red, swollen, weak and no longer close properly around your teeth. If your gums bleed while brushing, or when using a toothpick or brush, this is an important sign that your gums are inflamed.

What if you don’t treat gingivitis?

If you do not remove plaque sufficiently, your inflamed gums become weaker. The number of bacteria under the edge of your gums increases and the space between your tooth and your gums, the pocket, deepens. Your toothbrush can no longer reach the bacteria in the pocket to clean it properly. As a result, the inflammation damages the surrounding tissue, the periodontium. This can lead to a more severe inflammation called periodontitis.