If you’ve noticed that your gums are red rather than pink and that they bleed rather easily when you floss or even brush vigorously, you may have gingivitis, or an inflammation of the gums.

Gingivitis occurs when plaque builds up along the gumline. That plaque contains bacteria, which can irritate the gums. If the plaque is not cleared away through regular brushing and flossing, the bacteria multiply and exacerbate the gum tissue inflammation.

As gingivitis becomes more advanced and evolves into full-blown gum disease, it can lead the gums to separate from the underlying bone, forming pockets that serve as havens for more bacteria. If left untreated, gum disease can progress to the point where the jaw bone begins to break down, as well.

The most important thing to remember about gingivitis is that it is easily reversible.  It can even be treated at a routine appointment at the dental office. A professional cleaning that removes plaque and tartar goes a long way in healing gingivitis. Be sure to schedule cleanings and exams at least every six months if you have a tendency to develop gingivitis. Patients who accumulate plaque and tartar quickly may need to visit the dentist even more often.

Dental cleanings alone are not sufficient to prevent a recurrence of gingivitis, though. You have to do some work at home, too. Your dentist will advise you on what steps you can take to keep your gums healthy. For example, it is often helpful for people with gingivitis to use an electric toothbrush with a built in timer to ensure that they are brushing for a long enough period of time.

Patients with gingivitis should take the dentist’s advice to heart. It is important to address gingivitis early, to prevent the onset of more severe periodontal disease. The best way to prevent a recurrence of gingivitis is to be diligent in your oral hygiene habits.

If you’ve noticed recent changes in your gums, schedule an appointment at our Fort Worth dentistry practice to see if you may have gingivitis. Taking early action to fight gingivitis will help to prevent adverse outcomes later.

Many sports present a risk of injuries to the mouth, especially those that may involve contact, like soccer, lacrosse and basketball. Athletes face an increased likelihood of tooth breakage or loss, broken jaws and damage to the gums and other soft tissues of the mouth, and the fallout from those injuries can last a lifetime.

Fortunately, mouthguards can help prevent such oral injuries in athletes. In fact, according to the Academy of Sports Dentistry, virtually all states mandate mouthguards for high school athletes in certain sports, including football and field hockey.

Mouthguards are made of a flexible plastic material. They work by absorbing some of the impact of an object striking the mouth, whether that object is a hockey puck or an errant elbow, and spreading the rest of that force over a wider area to reduce overall damage.

You can purchase mouthguards at sporting goods retailers or at the dental office, and the quality of the device is likely to vary based on where you buy it. The mouthguards sold at your local sporting goods store are designed to be boiled to soften the material then bitten to fit it to your mouth, but these mouthguards are not the ideal option for injury prevention. They rarely fit well, and they often slip out of place on contact.

A better choice is to have a dentist take impressions of your mouth, which are then used to create a custom-made mouthguard for you. Custom-made mouthguards fit better and are more comfortable than the boil-and-bite variety, and they are more likely to stay in place upon impact. These features make custom-made mouthguards more effective.

Mouthguards are available in a variety of colors, so you can show your team spirit, and they have no impact on your ability to play the game.

Regardless of their level of play, athletes from the upper echelon to weekend warriors should be wearing mouthguards to protect their teeth and jaws. If you are an athlete, ask the dentist about custom-crafted mouthguards at your next visit to your Fort Worth dentistry practice.