My least favorite part of any dentist visit is the cleaning where the hygienist usually says "We seem to have some bleeding of your gums here. You need to floss more and eat right." The hygienist is of course right on target which doesn't help, and further explains that I have the most common of gum diseases known as Gingivitis gum disease.

Gingivitis gum disease is basically an irritation of the gums near the teeth caused by several factors including poor oral hygiene. One of the reasons we brush and floss is to clean the teeth and gums of food particles and plaque. The food particles would be great food sources for millions of bacteria just waiting for a great growth environment in your mouth.

A common spot for the food and subsequent bacteria to hide is between your teeth and gums. The growing bacteria irritate the gums causing the Gingivitis gum disease problems. The normal symptoms are swelling of the gums near the teeth, tenderness of the gums while brushing or flossing, and excessive bleeding while brushing or flossing.

Gingivitis gum disease is a main reason to floss your teeth regularly as well. The floss action is especially effective at cleaning out the areas between the tooth and gum where the disease has its home. The cleaning of the areas between the teeth is very important for gum health as well as preventing cavities.

The disease of Gingivitis gum disease is not really dramatic and the symptoms are mostly inconvenient for the average case. The bloody gums usually only appear during brushing and flossing and after several cleanings are often reduced or eliminated. The first step to eliminate this disease is to brush and floss thoroughly and often until the symptoms recede. The addition of an antiseptic mouthwash will aid in eliminating the bacteria.

What other vitamins, minerals or potions can help stop Gingivitis gum disease? There are several possibilities that are fairly easy to use and obtain. The easiest of these will remind you of your parents prompting you to drink more orange juice - vitamin C. Vitamin C is recommended by many dentists as a significant aid to gum health. The vitamin has anti-oxidant properties to fight the disease and is very important for building collagen in the body which directly relates to your gums.

Another product to aid in reducing Gingivitis gum disease is the grapefruit seed. The extract from the grapefruit seed has always been known to have some antibiotic effects within the body and this makes it effective against bacteria. Grapefruit seed oil can be added to your daily brushing by placing it on the brush or even with the toothpaste.

The rapid growth of bacteria in Gingivitis gum disease is usually fought by the body's immune system. If the immune system is depressed or less effective for some reason, then the risks of Gingivitis gum disease and other gum diseases is greatly increased. Immune systems can be depressed by certain drugs, pregnancy or other illnesses.