Gum discoloration?!
Question:
Gum discoloration?
Hey everyone,
My dentist has told me that I have slight gum disease and that I should be sure to brush after I eat anything. I've been doing this for about 2 weeks, and just noticed a dark discoloration of my gums. It's very small, and you can only see it at the highest point of the lower gums. Could this be from brushing too much? I think it would be odd for my gums to have gotten worse after being so careful. Is this anything I should worry about?
I would really appreciate any suggestions.
Answers:
What you are seeing could be a number of different things depending on the actual color. If this color is more "purplish" or "purplish-red", then it is probably the inflammation in your gum tissues. When your gums become "infected", there is an increase in blood flow to that area to try and fight off that infection. Which is why gum tissues bleed so easily when they are infected! Don't be discouraged by bleeding or inflammation to be present still. This takes time to heal and I teach the "grin and bear it" lesson to my patients. You just have to "grin and bear it" and keep brushing and flossing through the bleeding and such in order for the tissues to get better.
Now...if this color is more like "blue-black", then it may be what is called an amalgam "tatoo". This is caused from an amalgam filling in a tooth near it. This is harmless but cannot be removed.
I hope this helps!