Prevent Gum Disease
All too often, gum health is taken for granted. The importance of looking after the teeth is widely accepted, but for many, oral health stops there. Learn how to improve gum health before tooth loss and expensive dental treatments you can avoid with the right care.
Gum health is essential. If this is overlooked, it can lead to gum disease, tooth decay and can impact upon a person’s general health.
In this article, the ways to improve gum health and prevent gum disease will be discussed.
What is the Function of the Gums?
Before delving into the issues faced if proper gum health is not maintained, it is important to first understand the function of the gums.
The gums are there to help protect the teeth and stop diseases from developing in the mouth. They are made up of soft skin that covers bones and teeth. Gums create a protective seal around the teeth and prevent bacteria from building up.
If gum health is neglected, it can lead to gum disease as well as bacteria getting to your teeth, leading to tooth decay.
What Are the Most Common Gum Health Issues?
Every person’s mouth is filled with bacteria. Even the cleanest mouth will still be home to a considerable amount of bacteria. Not all this bacterium is bad. In fact, it is important to maintain a healthy balance of bacteria.
If too much bad bacteria are present in a person’s mouth, it can cause periodontal disease. The natural response to pathogenic bacteria is inflamed gums which will destroy healthy gum tissue.
As with all types of infection, the symptoms will vary. A mild infection will bring about slight swelling and redness to the gums or cause the gums to bleed. This is called Gingivitis.
A more severe infection, periodontal disease, may cause serious damage to the teeth and bone structure.
Further to this, sufferers of periodontal disease are at a much greater risk of developing several serious health conditions. These include:
- Diabetes
- Cardiovascular disease
- Complications during pregnancy
When plaque is allowed to build up around the teeth and gums, it can lead to toxins causing inflammation of the gums, bringing gingivitis. If this is left untreated it could cause periodontal disease.
What are the Causes of Gum Disease?
There are several potential causes of gum disease. By addressing these areas, it may be possible to prevent gingivitis or periodontal disease. If the symptoms of gingivitis are already present, it may be possible to minimize these.
Smoking
One of the most common causes of gum disease is smoking. Tobacco is known to stop soft tissue from healing while causing dryness. This provides the perfect conditions for bad pathogenic bacteria to grow. Avoid tooth extractions by improving dental and gum care now.
Smokers also have a higher chance of developing tooth decay and oral cancer. Quitting smoking may help prevent these problems.
Not Brushing and Flossing Regularly
Skipping brushing and flossing the teeth often will increase the chance of gum disease developing. It is important to brush twice daily and floss at night. Where braces, bridges, or dental implants are present, using an interdental brush will also help.
Eating a Poor Diet
A diet that is high in sugar will have a negative impact on a person’s gum health. It is advisable instead to opt for a diet that is rich in vegetables, legumes, nuts, fruit, and fatty fish. In addition to this, drink plenty of water.
Ignoring the Signs of Gum Disease
If any of the warning signs of gingivitis such as redness or inflammation around the gums, or the gums bleed whenever brushed, it is important to address the situation early, before these issues are allowed to develop into full-blown periodontitis.
Not Getting a Dental Check-Up Regularly
Dental check-ups help identify the signs and symptoms of gum disease before they’re allowed to develop. By visiting the dentist every six months, it is possible to stay on top of gum health.
How to Restore Gum Health
The first call to improving gum health naturally when experiencing the onset of gingivitis or periodontal disease is to make an appointment with Lakefront Family Dentistry. The dental practice has advanced technology like the Panoramic digital x-ray machine, which is safe for patients. One visit means oral health can be assessed quickly and accurately.
Many gingivitis infections can be treated at Lakefront Family Dentistry using a method of deep cleaning called scaling and root planing.
During this procedure, the mouth will be numbed, and the highly skilled dental hygienist will remove any plaque and tartar with great care.
This procedure will help restore the mouth cavity and remove any hidden bacteria. It is recommended that patients visit twice a year for a check-up and clean. If there are signs of periodontal disease, further professional teeth cleaning may be recommended.
What Is the Best Toothpaste for Gum Health?
There are several great brands of toothpaste on the market that are helpful in the fight against gingivitis and periodontal disease.
The key ingredient to look for is stannous fluoride. Unlike sodium fluoride, this is even more helpful in fighting the bacteria that causes inflamed or bleeding gums. Crest Gum Detoxify Deep Clean Toothpaste is a great toothpaste for gum health.
The fundamental take-home is that a healthy routine needs to be maintained. This means brushing twice daily for about two minutes at a time. It can be tempting to skip the nightly brush and head straight to bed; however, this is the most important time to clean.
Rinsing straight after brushing should be avoided. This is a common mistake as it prevents the fluoride in the toothpaste from working.
Using a fluoride mouthwash can also be beneficial, however, try to use this at a different time to brushing such as after a meal, as it can also wash away the fluoride from the toothpaste.
For the convenience of patients, Lakefront Family Dentistry carry prescription-strength fluoride gel and toothpaste as well as Sonicare toothbrushes which are recommended for improving overall oral health.
Patients that are concerned about the onset of gum disease should make an appointment with Lakefront Family Dentistry before the condition worsens to periodontal disease. Make an appointment with Dr. Mark Phillipe or Dr. Derek Hauser and learn how to improve gum health by getting a checkup, call us at (951) 244-9495 or fill in our dental appointment form online today.
