Redness of gums in an adult and child

Reddening of the gums occurs quite often and accompanies most of the diseases of our body, not to mention the oral cavity. When ARVI occurs, infection in the ENT organs, diseases of the cardiovascular system and the gastrointestinal tract causes reddening of the gums. And in each individual case the mechanism of formation of this reddening or hyperemia is different. Just like in the oral cavity, inflammation, trauma, and allergic reaction can occur. All processes both in the body and in the oral cavity are interrelated, therefore reddening of the gums should be considered not only locally, but also from the point of view of communication with the body.

It is worth noting that the children's age has its own characteristics with regard to the color of the gum. The color of the gum color varies from bright red to light crimson, and this coloration is absolutely physiological. Although, with the appearance of any diseases of the mucous membrane in infants, the entire oral cavity becomes saturated red with bubbles or white bloom, it all depends on the pathology.

However, in order to avoid this symptom and the diseases associated with it, it is important to understand the risk factors that can lead to gum flushing. First and foremost, it is worth noting the health and hygiene of the oral cavity as a whole. In the presence of carious teeth, poor oral hygiene and obscheomaticheskih diseases increases the number of infectious agents and decreases the resistance of the mucous membrane in the oral cavity. These factors create conditions for the appearance of diseases, and in combination with the causes - lead to them. Therefore, regular visits to the dentist and good hygiene can reduce the risk of disease.

[1], [2]

Causes of the gum redness

To better understand the causes of gum flushing, you need to divide the causes into several groups.

The first group of causes, worth noting - inflammatory diseases of the gums and periodontitis. This group is very extensive, as the reasons leading to it are most often banal and simple. This is a violation of oral hygiene, the development of a large number of dental deposits, plaque, which initially cause inflammation of the gum. In the absence of treatment, the process is aggravated, the gingival attachment to the tooth is injured and periodontitis occurs. With this disease, the inflammation spreads to the periodontal tissue (the ligamentous apparatus of the tooth), there is a suppuration, bone resorption, surrounding the tooth, the mobility of the teeth and, eventually, their loss. According to statistics, hyperemia of the gum as a result of gingivitis and periodontitis is 69% of the total number of causes.

Gum injury is one of the common causes of redness of the gums. Traumatic factors include dentition, surgical intervention, chemical trauma, mechanical, temperature and other types. Any trauma can be acute or chronic. This depends on the time of the trauma agent. If a person grabbed a glass of boiling water and drank, then such a trauma will be considered acute, and if he drinks a very hot drink every day, this trauma will be considered chronic.

When teething at any age, a bright red gingival color appears in the area. This is a physiological process, which is accompanied by inflammatory phenomena, including a change in the color of the gum. Most often, this reddening occurs after a few days and does not cause much discomfort.

After removal of the tooth or other operations in the oral cavity, the mucous membrane around the wound has a rich red color. By traumatizing the gingival margin, pain and reddening of the gums occur during the intervention .

Chemical injury of the gums arises from acids, alkalis and other kinds of substances that aggressively affect the gingival tissue. This can occur as a result of mistaken intake of a solution of alkali or acid, also during medical interventions. Thermal trauma is possible with the use of hot drinks, cryotherapy. Mechanical damage occurs when the injury is caused by coarse, sharp objects, such as bones, or sharp edges of teeth or prosthesis. Also, if there are several types of metal prostheses in the mouth, galvanism may occur, in which the mucous membrane and gums become red.

One of the causes of redness of the gums is an allergic reaction. This is a large group of diseases that have an allergic mechanism of development and include from allergy to medications to such diseases as acantholytic pemphigus and red flat lichen. The most common allergies to anesthetics, antibacterial drugs, plastic prostheses and plates.

With suppuration of the cysts, the gingival gingiva may also cause reddening of the gingiva. As long as the cyst is not uprooted, it can grow quite asymptomatically and not disturb anyone, but if this happens, there will be pain and redness of the gums.

Reddening of the gums often accompanies dental manipulation and medical errors. The effect of orthophosphoric acid on the gum, diathermocoagulation, gum retraction and much more often cause gum flushing. Therefore, do not assume that if after a medical intervention there was a reddening of the gums, it means that the doctor did something wrong. There are a number of manipulations in which a gum trauma is unavoidable, and when the doctor's recommendations are implemented, this condition will quickly pass.

[3], [4]

Pathogenesis

With inflammatory periodontal diseases, such as gingivitis and periodontitis, reddening of the gums appears one of the first symptoms. This occurs as a result of the influence of plaque and dental plaque on the gum, which leads to its edema, hyperemia, bleeding and soreness. If at this stage, during the gingivitis stage, to perform dental treatment, then it is possible to restore the gum in its full extent. However, if you do not intervene, there may be periodontitis, an inflammatory-destructive disease in which infection of the dental plaque damages the attachment of the gum to the tooth-the epithelium of attachment. After such damage, infectious agents move further, deep into the periodontal gap along the tooth and destroy the periodontium. As a result of the disturbance of the ligament apparatus, bone tissue also dissolves, to which the tooth is attached by means of ligaments. With time, in the absence of treatment, such teeth fall out.

Periodontitis can be generalized and localized. Generalized periodontitis has a prevalence on the teeth of the jaws, and localized - occurs between the two teeth. The cause of localized periodontitis may be a substandard seal in the area of the contact point of the teeth or an inconsistent crown.

Gum injuries have a different mechanism depending on the trauma agent. If the trauma is mechanical, then through the violation of the integrity of the epithelium and the underlying tissues, an inflammatory process occurs. If the injury is thermal, the epithelium of the gum is exposed to a high temperature, which leads to denaturation or breakdown of the proteins. If the injury is chemical, then alkali or acid causes necrosis of the gum. In the case of a gum injury after surgery, the mechanism is the same as in the case of mechanical trauma. The peculiarity is that in a purulent operation, powerful infectious agents enter the area of gum damage, which can lead not only to inflammation, but to the appearance of purulent exudate. In this case, the treatment and restoration of the wound surface may increase in time.

Allergic processes that occur in the oral cavity proceed according to the same mechanisms as in other organs and systems. For example, when using a plastic prosthesis, an allergic reaction may occur. When the plastic contacts the mucous membrane of the gum, a cascade of reactions is triggered, a large number of immune cells are produced against the stimulus, in this case plastic. Further, immune complexes concentrate in the area of contact with the irritant and damage the mucosa, itching, burning and reddening of the mucous membrane of the gum, palate and other areas at the point of contact with the prosthesis.

[5], [6], [7], [8], [9]

Symptoms

Considering the reddening of the gums as a symptom of a variety of diseases and conditions in the oral cavity, it is necessary to separate manifestations of gingrusa of the gums in diseases of the oral cavity and diseases of other organs and systems.

As mentioned above, most often reddening of the gums is observed with periodontal diseases - gingivitis and periodontitis. The clinical picture of gingivitis is accompanied by pain, bleeding gums, their swelling, redness. With hypertrophic gingivitis, the gum may also increase in volume, with a severe degree of overlapping of the tooth can be to its full height. Most often, the teeth of the opposite jaw injure this overgrown and bright red gum, as a result of which it bleeds.

With parodontitis, the first signs can be bleeding gums, their redness, stuck food between the teeth, bad breath. However, later, in the absence of treatment, the roots of the teeth become bare, and their mobility appears. The result is the removal of healthy teeth from the oral cavity. This clinical picture is observed due to damage to the epithelial attachment and destruction of the resulting bone tissue around the tooth.

Hyperemia of the gums occurs with traumatic effects on the oral cavity. With all kinds of injuries, a bright red color appears, swollen and painful. For chemical - this area is covered with whitish coating, with mechanical long-acting - a dirty gray coating. Gum trauma with a small sharp object causes reddening at one point, with trauma of thermal or chemical agents, the reddening area can reach the entire oral cavity. If there is galvanization (in the presence of several types of metals in prostheses), then in addition to all of the above added a metallic taste in the mouth and burning.

Injuries in the oral cavity may also occur due to treatment or improper manipulation. In the case of a poor-quality crown, a red band appears on the gum around this tooth, gingivitis may first occur, and then localized periodontitis. At the same time, the interdental spaces near the tooth with a crown suffer, in which food is eventually clogged. Also, a gum injury can also be caused by a substandard seal that is on the contact of two teeth. If there is a violation of its final processing and polishing remains residual material, which presses on the interdental papilla. Thus, gingivitis occurs first, after which the process passes to the periodontal tissue.

Most often, of course, the cause of reddening of the gums will be diseases in the oral cavity. However, there is another group of diseases, which is manifested by gum flushes. This is the defeat of internal organs and systems. In acute respiratory infections, even before the appearance of clinical signs of the body as a whole, reddening of the gums may appear in adults and especially in children. Bubbles, aphthae, sores appear , blisters in the mouth, ENT organs are affected. Especially it concerns the back wall of pharynx and tonsils. With such serious diseases as diabetes, hepatitis, HIV infection, manifestations in the oral cavity also begin with reddening of the gums, after which cones on the gums, neoplasms can form . With such systemic diseases, the mucous membrane becomes thinner, becomes stagnant-red, it causes long-term healing erosions and ulcers. In acute leukemia, the red gums swell and increase in size, especially these changes are expressed on the gum on the side of the tongue.

Diagnostics of the gum redness

In order to understand which symptom of a disease is the red gum, you need to collect and analyze the information of a particular case. All types of traumatic lesions affect directly the gum. That is, if there is evidence that it was burned with hot tea or was injured with a fork during a meal, you can safely say that this is traumatic gingivitis or stomatitis. In the event of pain, bleeding gums, the appearance of an unpleasant odor, stuck food in your mouth, you should think about gingivitis or periodontitis. Usually, the doctor directs the diagnosis of the disease to the radiographic examination of the jaws. Or orthopantomogram, or CT. One of the proposed types of instrumental diagnostics will help in determining the disease. If a flaccid appearance is added to the described symptoms, a reduced skin turgor, a dirty gray plaque on the mucosa in the oral cavity, the following tests should be performed:

• General blood test.
• General analysis of urine.
• Blood for sugar.
• Biochemical blood test.

These tests will help to distinguish between diabetes mellitus, leukemia, HIV infection, hepatitis. If there are suspicions of neoplasms, it is recommended to do CT or MRI of the area of interest, as well as to conduct a histological examination.

In young children, most often reddening of the gums occurs either with viral diseases or with bacterial diseases. The occurrence of infection and the appearance in the oral cavity of the child of redness, rashes and vesicles suggests that these symptoms are caused by one pathogen and there is no need for additional diagnostic methods.

[10], [11], [12], [13]

Treatment of the gum redness

Red gums need to be treated, given the characteristics of the underlying disease. If there is an inflammatory mechanism of redness of the gums, you must adhere to certain principles. To begin with, the doctor should conduct professional oral hygiene, which includes the removal of dental deposits, grinding, polishing the surfaces of the teeth. After that, antibacterial drugs (Levosin, Levomecol, Metrogil, etc.), antiseptic ( chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide, Rotokan) anti-inflammatory substances (heparin ointment), keratoplastic ("Solcoseryl", "Metiluracil" ). Also impose paraffin dressings with vitamin preparations, conduct light therapy, gum irrigation and interdental spaces with various antiseptic solutions.

See also:  Treatment of periodontitis

Strengthen the treatment by prescribing drugs inside - antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, keratoplastic, immunomodulating drugs, vitamins and trace elements. Immunon, Proteflazide, and homeopathic remedies such as Lymphomiazot are prescribed to strengthen immunity.

Particularly important for periodontal tissues are vitamins A, E and D, as well as calcium minerals. At the stage of remission, physiotherapy procedures such as cryotherapy, darsonvalization, and fluctuation are carried out. Laser treatment of red and yellow spectrum also has a beneficial effect.

In the presence of periodontal pockets, surgical manipulations are carried out, which are aimed at eliminating pathological pockets. These include curettage, patchwork, gum plastic and alveolar bone. Curettage is the scraping of pathological tissues from the periodontal pockets with special instruments - curettes. There is also a vacuum curettage and an open curettage, in which a pocket cut is made and thus cleanses the root and gum from the pathological tissues.

Patchwork operations have good results using directional regeneration techniques. Their essence lies in the fact that when implanting artificial bone and gums, the embedded tissues are closed on all sides by membranes that prevent the ingrowth of the epithelium inwards. Thus, when performing these surgical procedures, it is possible to restore a certain level of bone tissue and strengthen the teeth in it.

In case of a minor mechanical injury, rinse the mouth with medicinal herbs such as chamomile, sage, oak bark, nettle, linden, etc. In case of chemical damage, use antidotes, antiseptic treatment of the damaged gum area, and reduce the load on it.

Complications and consequences

Whether complications or not, depends on the underlying disease, the symptom of which is the redness of the gums. With gingivitis, which will be treated by the doctor, all will end with recovery without any complications. If gingivitis is not treated, there is a possibility of periodontitis. Unfortunately, this disease can not be completely cured. Although regular maintenance therapy can suspend the process and stabilize the health in the oral cavity.

With untreated parodontium diseases, extensive periodontal pockets can arise, abscesses and foci of chroniosepsis can cause diseases in other organs and systems.

Injuries by any kinds of damaging agents have an outcome depending on the degree of damage. If the effect is mechanical, for example, a bone was pricked, and the lesion occurred only the epithelium, then in 3-4 days everything will heal without traces. However, if the damage is caused by chemical agents, and the depth of the lesion affects deeper layers than the epithelium - there will be tissue necrosis and scarring.

Allergic diseases will always have consequences associated with limiting the use of those substances that cause allergies. Whether it's prostheses, or food, or medicines, or filling materials. If you do not take all measures to eliminate allergens, such formidable complications as Quincke's edema and anaphylactic shock can develop .

[14], [15], [16], [17], [18]

Prevention

Prevention of redness of the gums should be complex and multidirectional. This is due to the fact that this symptom can occur with a large number of diseases. Therefore, preventive measures should be aimed at preventing the diseases described above. For example, for the prevention of gingivitis and periodontitis, it is first necessary to maintain a good level of oral hygiene. Also, you should regularly visit a dentist to assess the condition of the fillings, crowns and dentures. If the filling in the gingival part of the tooth has a poor fit or chipped, then it must be restored or replaced. The same applies to crowns and bridges. Their consistency is determined not only by how firmly they are fixed on the teeth, but also by how stable the condition of bone and soft tissues in the area of orthopedic construction. Unfortunately, there is an opinion in the society that doctors can deliberately remove good fillings and remove normally functioning crowns for their own benefit. However, such cases are extremely rare, because to perform such actions the doctor must be very short-sighted and unscrupulous. To remove crowns is always a risk for both the doctor and the patient. In some cases, repeated tooth replacement is even impossible. Therefore, you should trust the doctor and in time to replace the restoration, the life of which has long expired. The same applies to removable prostheses. They also have their own usage limit. Constant changes in the state of the bone tissue of the jaws lead to a violation of the fit of the prosthesis. As a result, there is redness of the gums, bedsores and inflammation. Therefore, it is always worthwhile to pay attention to changes in the oral cavity and give priority to your health.

[19], [20]