This article explains how gum disease lets germs into your body.

Main ideas

• Your skin and the lining of your mouth stop germs getting into your body.
• Gum disease makes an open sore in the gums. You may not see it.
• Signs of gum disease: red, swollen or bleeding gums.
• In some people, the sore area adds up to the size of a coin.
• Germs from the mouth can get into the blood. This is linked to diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease (a type of dementia).

What to do

• Brush, floss and clean between your teeth every day. This keeps germs low.
• See your dental professional for regular check-ups and cleans. They remove hard build-up under the gums that you cannot remove at home.

Key point

Healthy gums are pink, fit tightly around the teeth and do not bleed.