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Do your gums bleed? You may have gingivitis
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Almost half of all Canadians are keeping their mouths closed on a potentially serious health problem.
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By Jennifer Melo
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You start another day by brushing your teeth in the morning and you spit out a mouthful of foam that's coloured pink wth blood. What's a little bleeding? Your gums always bleed when you brush and that's totally fine, right? Wrong!
"It is not normal for gums to bleed," says Evie Jesin, a dental hygienist who teaches at George Brown College's dental hygiene program in Toronto. "People often don't know it, but bleeding, red, sore, swollen gums are signs of gingivitis."
According to the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA), 50 per cent of Canadians have gingivitis, an early stage of gum disease that's characterized by inflamed gums and caused by plaque buildup, but only 6 per cent are aware they have it. Too many people dismiss and ignore their symptoms, but bleeding, swollen, red gums and persistent bad breath indicate a problem that needs attention.
When your oral health is poor, your overall health suffers
Gingivitis is more than just a nuisance; when left untreated, it leads to periodontitis, a more serious gum disease that's characterized by bone loss -- and bone loss leads to tooth loss.
If that's not enough incentive to pay attention to your oral health, consider these statements from the CDHA: Gum disease has been linked to a variety of illnesses such as pneumonia, diabetes, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.
There's a direct connection between your oral health and your overall health because bacteria can enter your bloodstream via diseased gums.
If you think you might have gingivitis, visit your dental hygienist or dentist and don't delay.
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