The Dental Centre at UCL

Gingivitis is commonly caused by poor oral hygiene and is simply an inflammation of the gums around your teeth. If left untreated it can progress to the more serious periodontitis, which affects the underlying bone around your tooth. This can result in loss of bone, tooth mobility and ultimately tooth loss. Take action today to protect your long-term dental health.

Signs and symptoms of gingivitis

Keep your eyes peeled for these symptoms:

1. Tenderness, swelling, redness, pain and bleeding of the gums
2. Halitosis or bad breath
3. Gums beginning to shrink and losing their healthy pink colour and shape. They can begin to recede away from the teeth and take on a red and puffy nature.

Dentists usually diagnose gingivitis based on symptoms and an examination of your teeth, gums, mouth and tongue. Your dentist will look for plaque and tartar build-up on your teeth and check your gums for redness, puffiness and bleeding.

Treatment of Gingivitis

The primary way to treat gingivitis is to remove the source of the infection and this can start at home/in your student accommodation. Brushing your teeth regularly with a fluoride toothpaste will help to prevent plaque build-up, which is where the unhealthy bacteria reside. Flossing between your teeth will also clean those difficult to reach areas.

The most important thing to do is to visit your dentist. In conjunction with your dental hygienist they can provide a series of deep cleaning treatments, which can clean under the gum and in areas that are difficult to reach at home. This helps nip the problem in the bud and prevent it re-occurring when you’re busy at University.

In severe cases gingivitis can be also treated with antibiotics, which will help to boost your immune system and fight the bacterial infection. This might be an important course of action when you’re at a crucial stage of your studies. You’ll want to feel on top form when taking exams for example.

Please remember that good daily dental habits will help keep you healthy. Cleaning your teeth adequately at home will help to keep plaque to a minimum. Doing this means the bacteria have nowhere to live and so your teeth, gums and bone of your jaw remain healthy.

Are you a fan of drinking carbonated drinks and fruit juice? We recommend that you wait a couple of hours before brushing your teeth. These drinks contain acid and this acid can have a softening effect on the enamel of your teeth. The natural saliva in your mouth will neutralise this acidity and help to restore the natural balance in your mouth. This process happens slowly and if you drink these drinks in rapid succession your teeth don’t have time to fully recover.

Waiting a couple of hours before you brush your teeth gives you time to recover. Brushing then removes any sticky sugar which may still be attached to your teeth. It’s important to remove this sticky layer as it is upon this that the harmful bacteria which cause tooth decay will feed upon.

breakingmuscle.com shares these top 10 tips highlighting why you should drink plenty of water:

1. If you don’t drink water, you will die. It’s that important. Depending on our environment, we can live only a few days without water – maybe a week. We can live much longer without food. For most of us, we should prioritise the consumption of water far more than we currently do
2. Prevent cancer. Yes, that’s right – various research says staying hydrated can reduce risk of colon cancer by 45%, bladder cancer by 50%, and possibly reduce breast cancer risk as well
3. Be less cranky. Research shows dehydration can affect your mood and make you grumpy and confused. Think clearer and be happier by drinking more water
4. Improve performance. Proper hydration contributes to increased athletic performance. Water composes 75% of our muscle tissue. Dehydration can lead to weakness, fatigue, dizziness and electrolyte imbalance
5. Have less joint pain. Drinking water can reduce pain in your joints by keeping the cartilage soft and hydrated. This is actually how glucosamine helps reduce joint pain, by aiding in cartilage’s absorption of water
6. Flush out waste and bacteria. Our digestive system needs water to function properly. Waste is flushed out in the form of urine and sweat. If we don’t drink water, we don’t flush out waste and it collects in our body causing a myriad of problems. Also combined with fibre, water can cure constipation
7. Prevent headaches. Sometimes headaches can be caused by dehydration, so drinking water can prevent or alleviate that nasty head pain. Next time your head hurts, try drinking water
8. Make your skin glow.Our skin is the largest organ in our body. Regular and plentiful water consumption can improve the colour and texture of your skin by keeping it building new cells properly. Drinking water also helps the skin do it’s job of regulating the body’s temperature through sweating
9. Feed your body.Water is essential for the proper circulation of nutrients in the body. Water serves at the body’s transportation system and when we are dehydrated things just can’t get around as well.

It’s also good to remember that when you drink plenty of water it keeps you hydrated, which means that the saliva in your mouth flows more freely. If you become dehydrated your mouth has a tendency to dry out and the saliva can’t neutralise any of the acids which naturally accumulate, especially during eating or drinking fizzy drinks.

There has been research to show that there is a connection between the amount of exercise you undertake and your academic success. Keep in mind that exercising more vigorously will also mean you have a tendency to dehydrate. If you want to achieve academic success and exercise, you must also remember to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.

How much water should you drink?

Authority nutrition recommend that you drink eight x 8-ounce glasses, which is the same as 2L or half a gallon of water per day. Don’t forget that if you are exercising you should be drinking more than this.

When you vomit acid will come into contact with your teeth – if you clean your teeth straight afterwards you run the risk of damaging them as they will have been softened by this acid attack. The best thing to do is to rinse your mouth out with clean fresh water and wait a few hours before brushing.