What will happen if gingivitis lasts for a long time?

Written by Wang Ji Zhong
Internal Medicine
Updated on September 29, 2024
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Gingivitis has a high incidence rate, and the initial symptoms are not obvious, which many people overlook. Gingivitis is caused by the presence of a large amount of dental plaque and tartar on the gums. Long-term bacteria can cause inflammation of the gums, resulting in swollen and painful gums. Severe cases may often experience bleeding gums. If not treated promptly, the inflammation can further develop into periodontal inflammation, causing periodontal atrophy. This leads to insufficient periodontal protection around the tooth roots, bleeding, loose teeth, and tooth loss, severely affecting health. Therefore, it is essential to treat gingivitis promptly and pay more attention to oral hygiene to maintain healthy teeth.

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Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
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The difference between periodontitis and gingivitis

Periodontitis and gingivitis have essential differences. Gingivitis is the early stage of periodontitis. Both gingivitis and periodontitis involve the formation of periodontal pockets, but the pockets in gingivitis are pseudo pockets, caused by inflammation of the gums which leads to the local proliferation or swelling of the gums, enveloping part of the tooth crown. In contrast, the periodontal pockets in periodontitis are true pockets, caused by the resorption of the alveolar bone, a condition that accompanies the loss of alveolar bone. Therefore, the difference between gingivitis and periodontitis lies in whether there is bone loss or not.

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home-news-image
Written by Wang Ji Zhong
Internal Medicine
46sec home-news-image

What will happen if gingivitis lasts for a long time?

Gingivitis has a high incidence rate, and the initial symptoms are not obvious, which many people overlook. Gingivitis is caused by the presence of a large amount of dental plaque and tartar on the gums. Long-term bacteria can cause inflammation of the gums, resulting in swollen and painful gums. Severe cases may often experience bleeding gums. If not treated promptly, the inflammation can further develop into periodontal inflammation, causing periodontal atrophy. This leads to insufficient periodontal protection around the tooth roots, bleeding, loose teeth, and tooth loss, severely affecting health. Therefore, it is essential to treat gingivitis promptly and pay more attention to oral hygiene to maintain healthy teeth.

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Written by Li Cui
Dentistry
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Why does gingivitis cause the gaps between teeth to become bigger?

If the patient has gingivitis, prolonged gingivitis is subject to chronic inflammatory stimulation, which can lead to the atrophy of gum tissue and is harmful to the health of the gum tissue. When gum tissue begins to atrophy, gaps between teeth may become larger. Therefore, it is advised for patients to maintain good oral hygiene daily to prevent chronic gingivitis from adversely affecting oral health. Furthermore, if gaps between teeth enlarge, prolonged development may lead to tooth loosening or loss. Hence, patients must pay attention to oral hygiene, rinse their mouth promptly after meals to remove food debris, and regularly get their teeth cleaned to remove tartar and plaque, which is beneficial for oral health.

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Written by Wang Ji Zhong
Internal Medicine
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Symptoms of gingivitis

Gingivitis is a common and frequently occurring disease. If it is not treated in time, it can lead to pulpitis, periodontitis, and even cause dental pain, necrosis, tooth loosening, and loss. When gingivitis occurs, the gingival tissues exhibit vascular congestion, leading to a change in the color of the gums from normal pink to dark red or purplish red. Additionally, symptoms of gingivitis include edema and a change in the appearance of the gums, which become looser and do not adhere tightly to the teeth. There may also be pain, increased fragility of the gums, and spontaneous bleeding, particularly noticeable during brushing and when biting hard objects.

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Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
52sec home-news-image

The Hazards of Gingivitis

Gingivitis refers to an inflammation of the gum tissues, commonly caused by not brushing teeth in time after eating, accumulation of food residues or dental plaque around the teeth, which over time forms tartar due to the calcification by saliva. This long-term irritation to the gum tissue leads to bleeding gums, including bleeding while eating or brushing teeth. It is necessary to get a timely dental cleaning, otherwise it can lead to periodontitis or even result in loose teeth, and potentially tooth loss. Therefore, the harm caused by gingivitis is significant. Once gingivitis occurs, it requires timely dental cleaning to remove tartar and other irritating factors to alleviate symptoms of gum bleeding, allowing the gums to return to a normal, healthy state.