While gingivitis is unpleasant, you can recover from it over time. You just need to take the right steps and get the proper treatment. Still, you may wonder: how long will it take for your gingivitis to heal? Having an answer to that question would likely give you more peace of mind. Luckily, your McMinnville dentist can provide you with the relevant details. Here’s a primer on gingivitis, how long it takes to heal, and how to treat it at home.
Remind Me: What’s Gingivitis?
Gingivitis is the first stage of gum disease, taking the form of a mild gum inflammation. It occurs when excess plaque builds up in your mouth from poor eating and bad oral hygiene.
Since it’s gum disease’s earliest stage, gingivitis only has mild symptoms. The most common ones include things like bad breath, swollen gums, gum tenderness, etc. Such signs are easily ignored, so gingivitis is often left unchecked.
Gingivitis will slowly worsen if it isn’t treated. Over time, it’ll advance to periodontitis – a full-blown gum infection and gum disease’s second stage. The condition will then attack your gum and jaw tissues, putting you at risk of tooth loss and other oral problems.
How Long Will It Take to Heal?
Thankfully, gingivitis is a reversible oral issue. If you take proper care, your gums can fully heal from it in two weeks.
Remember, gingivitis is an inflammation of your gums; it’s not an actual infection. That means its bacteria isn’t yet deeply rooted in your mouth. By deep cleaning your smile, you can eliminate its harmful microbes without too much fuss. Keeping up that effort will ensure your inflammation fades after two weeks or so. From there, your gums will return to their normal and healthy selves!
Tips on Treating Gingivitis at Home
For your gums to heal well from gingivitis, you’ll need to care for them at home. You can do so by following these tips and tricks:
- Use Antibacterial Oral Products – When cleaning your smile, use antibacterial toothpaste and mouthwash. These items thoroughly remove and neutralize the plaque in your mouth.
- Brush Your Teeth Properly – As you always should, please brush your teeth twice daily for two minutes a piece. Focusing on the gumline will remove loads of toxic plaque.
- Don’t Forget to Floss – So long as you floss daily, you’ll remove food debris that can feed plaque your toothbrush misses.
In the end, you shouldn’t have to wait long for your gingivitis to heal. Simply care for your gums; it’ll fade before you know it!
About the Practice
Evans Street Dental is based in McMinnville, OR. Led by Dr. Natalya Ramsay, our practice loves to give patients healthy and thriving smiles. We do so by tailoring our preventive, cosmetic, and restorative treatments to your mouth and its unique oral needs! That way, your teeth and gums get the help they truly deserve. For more details or to book a visit, please contact us on our website or by phone at (503)-472-1402.