Gums also help in filling up the space between individual teeth. When gums get removed from this space an older looking appearance emerges. Gums provide the necessary aesthetic contours to the teeth and help provide a beautiful finish to the smile. Finally, a healthy pink gum provides a younger look to the teeth.
Maintaining the health of the gums is as essential as maintaining the health of the teeth. Gums can be very important indicators of health and any changes that take place in the body can be identified through changes in the gums. In the case of females for example, the hormonal changes in the regular menstrual cycles and during pregnancy can lead to swelling and bleeding of the gums, which is known as gingivitis. This can be a painful condition, causing bad taste in the mouth and limiting the ability to eat. The use of certain medicines such as for high blood pressure may also cause changes in the gingiva. Certain other drugs can cause discoloration. Excesses of substances in the body can cause changes in the color of the gingiva, and these changes can help diagnose the disease a person is suffering from.
Patients with diabetes raste and run a very high risk of developing gum related complications. When there is no bacterial infection involved, the gums may only swell a bit and appear reddened. This can be remedied through the use of mouthwash, flossing and use of proper tooth paste. However, where an infection sets in, the patient may complain of pus and blood from the gums, swelling in the gums, and foul taste and breath. In these cases, the proper use of antibiotics may be advocated.
Gums can also swell when there is a build up plaque and calculus on the teeth surfaces. this plaque can either cause a recession in the gum margins, which is the shifting of the position of the tooth to a new position revealing the underlying roots of the teeth. Otherwise it can lead to infection of the teeth, causing swelling, bleeding, pus formation and foul smelling odor. Both conditions indicate the presence of bacterial infection and therefore treating is of utmost importance.
These are however, advanced stages of gum disease. Proper care of gums requires the use of m outh wash and floss along with tooth paste in order to clean areas which are not easily accessible to the toothpaste. The flushing action transmits antibacterial substances to the gums, and helps flush out toxins and bacteria from the area. Eating a healthy dose of vitamin C and using strawberries in daily diet also ensure healthy maintenance of the gums.