The following dental information pages answers your questions on gums, gingiva, brushing, flossing and gum diseases.

Hard toothbrush or vigorous brushing,
are they harmful to the gums?

Hard tooth brush or/and excessive brushing force frequently causes the gums to recede, leading to exposure of root surface and sensitiveness of the teeth.

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Do all gum disease require surgical procedure?

Several non-surgical techniques are available for treating periodontal conditions, and the technique chosen will depend on the extent of damage that the disease has caused to the periodontium. The Periodontist will evaluate the condition of the periodontium and removal all the plaque and tartar deposits. In addition to this he will also use various antiseptics and antibiotics that are specifically meant for treating periodontal disease. If this treatment also fails to completely resolve the disease, he will have to resort to periodontal surgery.

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What is a graft and can it replace tissues lost due periodontal disease?

If the gum disease is diagnosed at a stage when there is not much loss of periodontal tissues, the lost tissues can be grafted. Grafts can be of soft tissues or hard tissues. The former is always taken from another site in the mouth of the patient being treated. Hard tissue grafts can purchased from tissue banks.

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Can gum/periodontal problems recur
after surgical treatment?

Treatment of gum disease whether by surgical or non-surgical means only takes care of the existing problem. If proper maintenance therapy is not given by the dentist or if patient does maintain good oral hygiene the gum disease will certainly recur.

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Can gum disease lead to teeth problem?

Sometimes prolonged infection of the gums spreads to the tooth through the root apex into the pulp tissue of the tooth leading to death of the tooth itself. Such tooth requires both root canal and periodontal treatment. Why does the tooth look longer after surgical gum treatment? Gum disease left untreated for a long time leads to loss of supporting bone around the roots of the teeth. The lost bone is replaced by unhealthy soft granulation tissue, which although it does not reduce the mobility of the teeth keeps the gum margin at almost the normal level. During surgical gum treatment the unhealthy granulation tissue is removed that results in the collapse of the gum tissues into the spaces left behind by the granulation tissues. As a result the gums recede and make the teeth appear longer

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How to keep the gums healthy?

By keeping good oral hygiene, having regular dental check-ups and a good balanced diet

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Should we avoid brushing and flossing
when the gums bleed?

Bleeding gums indicated presence of gum disease. As poor oral hygiene is the primary cause of gum disease one should realise that it is improper brushing technique and flossing was the cause of the problem. Correct brushing and flossing technique should be adopted, which should be supplemented by mouth wash.

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Is there any advantage of mechanical
brush over regular brush?

No, but they are helpful for physically handicapped patients.