What is Gingivitis?

Gingivitis is a type of infection that occurs in one’s teeth due to bad oral hygiene and bacteria. Inflammation in the gums surrounding the teeth is referred to as Gingivitis. The bacteria that get accumulated between the teeth are the root cause for inflammation in the gums. While gingivitis is not a chronic disease, it can cause problems at a later date if not attended to at the initial period. Bacteria are accumulated on the teeth and causes inflammation in the gums. Bacteria feed on plaque that accumulates on the teeth and remains soft initially. Over time it gets calcifies and hardened on the teeth. The plaque, microscopic food particles and bacteria altogether gives birth to discomfort and ultimately gingivitis appears in the gum line.

Causes for Gingivitis

Mouth is one of those parts in the body, which is warm, and at the same time, moist enough to help bacteria to develop. Supply of food in one form or other at regular intervals also augurs well for the bacteria to grow at a relatively quicker pace in the mouth. This bacteria is the root cause for inflammation in the gums. Not only does this bacterial growth affects the gums and the teeth, a relatively faster growth of bacteria in the mouth affects the immune system of the body.

Symptoms for Gingivitis

A person is said to have been affected by Gingivitis if he or she experiences pain in the gums surrounding the teeth. In this state, bleeding takes place in the gums, not only during brushing the teeth in the mornings and evenings, but also while chewing food, especially fruits. In addition to bleeding, the gums might also swell and present an ugly look to the face. The smell and the taste of the mouth will be bad than normal, making the person feeling uncomfortable. In addition to accumulation and growth of bacteria in the gums, there are other reasons as well for bleeding in the gums. Excessive intake of drugs or hormonal changes that normally take place in a woman’s body during pregnancy, poor nutrition and certain types of medication might also cause bleeding in the gums and lead to gingivitis or inflammation in the gums. The gums, which are relatively stronger and binds the teeth together, when affected by bacterial infection, tend to loose their normal colour as well as structure, and present a reddish colour.

Simple home remedies for Gingivitis

Gingivitis is a common disease and research has revealed that every person, during his or her lifetime, is likely to be affected by this disease. The simplest and easiest way to get remedy from this common disease is to protect the teeth and gums from getting affected. Following simple hygienic methods such as cleaning the teeth and gums on a periodical basis and not allowing for plaque to get accumulated in the teeth, in the first place, is the best method, or a simple home remedy for gingivitis.

If person is affected with gingivitis or experience pain in the gums, gargling the mouth with home-made saline solution will be ideal and provides immediate relief. This will also reduce the swelling in and around the gums. Saline solution can be prepared at home itself by adding a pinch of salt into lukewarm water and stirring. Apart from gargling the mouth, one can also rub a little bit of clove oil and rub it on to the affected gums. If clove oil is not available at home, a small bit of clove can be kept in the mouth and chewed gently so that the juice from the clove gets on to the gums and helps in reducing the pain and the swelling in the gums. This is one of the useful home remedies for gingivitis.

While suffering from gingivitis, it is advisable that foods with high fat content is avoided and only such foods with low saturated fat content should be consumed to help reducing the swelling in the gums. Using toothpaste that has a mixture of peppermint oil or sage oil also helps in reducing gingivitis to a great extent. Anti-bacterial mouth wash at frequent intervals will also help a person find instant relief from gingivitis and the resultant swelling in the gums. This is one of the best home remedies for gingivitis.