Your gums are an important part of your mouth because they help to protect your teeth. Without them, the roots of your teeth would be at the mercy of the tooth decay-causing bacteria in your mouth. Your gums, along with your bone and periodontal ligaments, also help to hold your teeth in place. If your gums have begun to hurt, it's important that you diagnose the cause quickly.

Have your gums begun to hurt recently? The cause could be one of the following issues.

Gingivitis

If your gum pain is recent, then you might have gingivitis or early-stage gum disease. Don't panic though, because gingivitis is easily reversible with proper oral hygiene practices. Are your gums red and sore? Do they bleed when you touch them or brush them? These are signs of gingivitis. Gingivitis can start in one area and spread to another if you do nothing to arrest it.

Since gum disease starts when plaque, which is the sticky stuff that forms on your teeth throughout the day, develops on your teeth and gums, you need to make sure you are brushing your teeth twice a day. According to a national oral health report, fifty percent of Australian adults don't brush their teeth twice a day. If you aren't brushing enough, this might be the cause of your gum pain.

An Allergy

Sometimes, your gums may be sore due to an allergic reaction to a new oral hygiene product or food. However, an allergic reaction of this kind is likely to affect the other soft tissues of your mouth as well, including your cheeks, lips and tongue. Have you changed your toothpaste brand recently or started eating a new type of food? Then consider having your doctor test you for allergies.

Your Toothbrush

Have you purchased a new toothbrush recently? Or have you changed your brushing technique? Using a toothbrush with hard bristles or bristles that have yet to soften through use could be irritating your gum tissues. Also, if you have changed your brushing technique, make sure you aren't harming your gums as you brush. If your gums recede due to trauma, your teeth will be vulnerable.

Trapped Food

Even a tiny piece of trapped food can cause your gum tissue to become infected. While trapped between your teeth or under your gums food debris attracts bacteria. Those bacteria then multiply, creating an infection that could spread to the surrounding area and even contribute to gum disease. Ask your dentist to remove trapped food debris if you are struggling to do it yourself.