Toothaches are horrible, but the problems caused by gums are bad as well. It makes us feel horrible when we speak, when we eat or drink. So we end up being all grumpy and irritated because of that.
Sore gums are something you don’t want. Thus, there is the question what can you do about them? Here is some information about sore gums, why they appear and how can you handle them. Although I wish you’d never have to face them.
Causes of sore gums
The unfortunate truth is that at some point, every one of us will have to deal with sore gums. The mildest form is red and swollen gums, which are sensitive to touch, and you can especially feel that when you brush your teeth. As the brush touched the edges of the gums, they become painful. You can also feel it with your tongue, inside your mouth, if the gum does not have the proper size or it is feels inflamed.
The main cause of sore gums is a precarious oral hygiene. That means you forget to brush, flush or use mouthwash. The best part is when you choose to do them all. When you forget to brush, bacteria add up on the teeth, from the food you eat. In the first 24 hours, the bacteria clog up into plague, which releases acids that harm your teeth, causing them to decay and form cavities. After 72 hours, this plaque becomes tartar and start building up along the line of the gums. As it pushed towards it, it will start irritating the gum, making it sore and sensitive. At this phase, tartar is rather hard to clean and usually it requires the intervention of a dentist.
Signs and symptoms of sore gums
Unhealthy gums have a red color, and they appear swollen. Healthy gums have a more pinkish color, looking firm and like perfectly fitting around your teeth. Also, a bleeding gum is as well a bad sign. If you spit blood when you are brushing it means, you have some irritated gums. Well, of course, if the bleeding is not caused by a brush that is too used up. Make sure you change your toothbrush every three months. It can add up bacteria, and the deteriorated brush can scrape and harm the gums. Also, if you try to touch your gums, they will feel rather tender if they are inflamed. A regular gum is always hard when you touch it. And, of course, you cannot notice the fact that your mouth is hurting. You will feel small pulsations, or a painful sore, which will be amplified when you will try to eat something solid.
Read Also: Top 11 Causes of Bleeding Gums
How to treat sore gums
First of all, even if it is uncomfortable, but you need to start brushing the teeth more often and use dental floss. You will have to brush three, two times the less, per day and use floss to clean the very tight spaces between teeth that a brush cannot reach. Mouthwash is a great aid if you suffer from sore gums, or gingivitis as doctors may call it. There are special assortments that have mentioned on the label they are anti-gingivitis, antibacterial or antiseptic. They are excellent to clean all the bacteria that are causing plaques and tartar.
Also, you need to schedule an appointment at the dentist. Perhaps it is not the jolliest place for you to be, but you need to do the sacrifice or just live with the sore gums. An enhanced personal hygiene is a must, but, as I said before, tartar is the hardest to clean and the one causing the biggest damage. Only a cleanup made by a professional dentist can help in these situations. After a cleansing like this, your gums will get back to normal in about a week. Don’t forget to wash at least twice and floss, to make sure you are going to keep your gums this way. Try to pay a visit to your dentist every 6 months, so that he can check on your teeth and gums. And remember, prevention is the best treatment.
How to prevent sore gums
The best brushes are the ones that have soft bristles and try using a fluoride paste. As I said before, hygiene is the key to having healthy gums. So you need to get that straight if you don’t want to face this problem. The teeth must be brushed twice a day. Replace your toothbrush after 3 months, because it won’t clean as well any longer.
Dental floss is as important as a toothbrush. No matter how hard to try to clean your teeth with a brush, there are areas where it can reach. So food gets stuck in there, and nothing can get it out. The floss is thin enough to go through the space between every tooth and clean it up properly. Also, close your oral hygiene with mouthwash. It is the final step that makes sure that any leftover bacteria will not dwell too much.
Be careful of what you eat, because some foods are more dangerous to the teeth and gums. The ones that contain sugars and starches are most preferred by the bacteria that causes plague. They are pure fuel, making them produce the acid that damages the tooth’s enamel. Candy and junk foods are on that list, so you might want to avoid them for extra protection.
And quit smoking if you haven’t until now. The smoke released from cigarettes, even from smokeless tobacco, are extremely noxious for the gums and teeth. A prolonged smoking habit will cause you severe problems with your teeth and gums.
Sore gums during pregnancy
Some pregnant women do know how sore gums are. It seems that besides their bellies, which are swollen, something else is expanding as well. It is not unusual for expecting mothers to have sore and bleeding gums. Doctors blame it on some pregnancy hormones, particularly the ones that cause the mucus membranes to swell. Some feel this on their sinuses as well. Like swelling was not enough, the same hormones are making the mouth more sensitive and prone to bacterial infections, which cause the sore gums. So it is not an easy thing to become a mother. If the hygiene is not maintained correctly, the teeth can suffer from severe decay.
Treatment for sore gums in pregnancy
If you are pregnant, you will need to be seen by your dentist at least once during your pregnancy. But make sure you tell him you are expecting so that he knows to avoid any X-rays or anesthesia. The visit should be more for a general cleaning, to keep the gums safely. Also, increase your personal hygiene and make sure you are properly brushing your teeth. Try to brush and floss twice a day. Make the brushing thorough, but not aggressive, as you could harm the gums yourself. Attempt to include the tongue in the brushing process as well. The tongue tends to get invaded by bacteria that could attack the teeth and gums. So if you can keep this one clean, there are slight chances you will have problems with the gums.
Rinsing will also help, especially if you suffer from morning sickness. After you pass the hard part of throwing up, keep in mind to rinse with mouthwash at least, if not even brush your teeth. You have enough problems caused by the pregnancy, and sore gums are not something you would like to add to the list. Mouthwash will help freshen up your taste and clean any acid that might come up from the stomach. Be careful of your diet and try to add vitamin C, which is great for gums, and calcium, necessary for strong teeth.
Sore gums after whitening (sore gums from bleaching)
If you choose to make a whitening treatment for your teeth, be prepared to experience some sore gums as well. Whether you do it at the dentist’s cabinet or home, whitening solution for teeth contain substances with high oxidant properties. So it is more likely it will burn the gums as well. But, luckily it is only a temporary problem. Even if it may seem uncomfortable during the whitening process, these substances clean the tooth very thoroughly and at a microscopic level, making it look at the end a lot whiter. So the gums will also receive the same amount of cleaning. But too much in such a short notice will cause some irritations.
Solutions that can be used at home are not that powerful, so even if you feel some sore gums, they will be back in no time. The whitening done at the dentist uses the same substances, but in a higher concentration, and the gums will be protected in order to avoid any damage to them. So you can be sure nothing bad will happen to your gums if you choose to have your teeth whitened.
There are some reasons why gums are affected by teeth whitening. The primary suspect is the hydrogen peroxide, which has very potent oxidative properties. When this substance hovers too much on your gums, it may irritate them. You might see the gums turn into a white color, just like if you hold an aspirin tablet in your hand and you put water on it. It will eventually burn the skin on your hand. The view might not be very pleasant, and it may hurt, so rinse the solution off as soon as you can. And do not worry about your sore gums, they will restore their color and feel better in a very short period.
Sore gums home remedy
Well, the first thing I am going to tell you is not a remedy, but more as advice. Try to reduce the stress in your daily life, because scientists found a connection between oral problems and high levels of stress. So next time you are stressing, try to remember about sore gums and chill out before any other grave issues arise.
Now back to the real remedies. You can treat sore gums rather easy at home if you rinse them with a saline solution, made out of water and sea salt. A cup of warm water in which you dissolved a small amount of sea salt can be a very effective natural mouthwash even in a case of sore gums in back of mouth. It will reduce inflammation and wash away any germs that might have caused it. Take a sip and clean the mouth for about 30 seconds. Spit it out after you are done. You’ll have to repeat this movement several times.
Tea bags are very efficient in calming down your sore gums. Surprised? The effect is made by the tannins contained in the tea. Soak a tea bag in boiling water for about 2 or 3 minutes and leave it to cool down before using it. Apply it directly to the affected gum and leave it there for 5 minutes to act. You can also rub honey on your gums. Honey is well-known for its antiseptic and antibacterial properties, so it is an excellent remedy to clean your gums in a natural way. After you brush your teeth, apply some honey on the affected areas. Be careful to put the honey on the gums and not on the teeth, as some honey varieties are very rich in sugars and might affect the teeth.
The central idea is that sore gums can happen to everyone. Either we forget to brush or we don’t do it appropriately. Or it happens because our bad habits like smoking, eating too many sweets or the lack of vitamin C from our diet. I think all of us had to deal with sore gums at some point. The best part is that it can be very easily prevented and treated, even if it can be quite an uncomfortable hustle when it happens. Either you increase the hygiene, which is the best way to do it or you make sure to have some sea salt and tea bags around the house, in case you wake up with some sore gums. I prefer the first version because once you get sore gums, the problem might persist a couple of days, making you feel bad and cranky.
