Dentists' Recommendation

Gum Bleeding and Caries

The two most important dental sicknesses are well known to us, but most of us do not really care about them: Gum bleeding and caries. While caries at least gives us the inconvenience of uncomfortable visits to the dentists in order to repair damage to our teeth, gum bleeding normally does not even make us feel pain. So we are very likely to ignore the alarming "red colour" on our toothbrush or on the apple we bite into. Gum bleeding is an important, first sign of disease for a gum inflammation (gingivitis) . But as it is not painful, it is often not taken seriously.

Gum diseases are also not exceptional. Dentists estimate that over 90 per cent of the population suffers from inflammation of the gums ( gingivitis). Gum diseases are due to plaque bacteria which deposit like a sticky film (plaque) on the surface of the teeth and along the edges of the gums. Plaque bacteria subsist mainly on sugar. In doing so, in addition to acids, they also secrete toxins which irritate the gums. The defence mechanism of the gums leads to a local inflammation; the gums look reddened and bleed slightly.

If irritated gums remain ignored, the inflammation will spread out deep along the tooth and will generate a periodontitis. In a periodontitis, the bone, which is supporting the tooth, is also affected. The teeth lose their support and ultimately fall. Furthermore, it has now been proven that a periodontitis does not only entail tooth loss, but may also endanger the entire health. There is thus plenty of evidence that a periodontitis - especially a severe periodontitis in young years - significantly increases the risk for heart attack and deficient births (children weighing too little at birth).

Go on cleaning, if it is bleeding? Gum problems can be counteracted with a comprehensive oral hygiene. Even if gums are already bleeding, it is absolutely necessary to go on cleaning softly. If the inflamed gums are spared and less cleaned, a vicious circle starts!

Cleaning of teeth with weak and bleeding gums must be done with a very soft toothbrush. This is to avoid further harm to the gums and also in order to brush teeth even though they are inflamed. The best solution is a toothbrush with microfine bristles.

A daily cleaning of interdental spaces with products like interdental brushes, dental sticks or dental floss is a very important procedure in the treatment of periodontitis. It is precisely in the interdental spaces and at the edges of the gums that plaque bacteria remain unreached by the toothbrush.

A toothbrush with microfine bristles is not only good in case of gum inflammation, but for daily care in order to prevent any inflammation or tooth decay. The microfine bristles are so flexible that they touch every tooth surface and reach the finest depressions, thereby guaranteeing good cleaning performance. Scientists in Japan and Europe have conducted studies to show that the cleaning effect of the new microfine bristles is even higher than the one of ordinary toothbrushes.