What You Need to Know for Healthier Gums and Teeth

It’s really not that hard to take care of your teeth. By brushing your teeth two times a day for two minutes and flossing, you help your teeth prevail in an endless fight against gum disease and tooth decay. However, there’s a small percentage of people that fail to understand strong and healthy teeth doesn’t happen without help.

Look, if you aren’t taking care of your teeth the way you should be, periodontitis and other oral health problems will show up and be tough to recover from. If you care about your oral health, here’s what you need to know about gum disease, what you can do to prevent it and how to have healthier teeth and gums moving forward.

What is Gum Disease?

Gum disease is a result of plaque and tartar buildup inside of your mouth. Plaque is a sticky residue that develops on the surface of your teeth, which thickens and turns into tartar. All of a sudden, tartar provides bacteria with a nice nest to multiply exponentially inside your mouth and is only removable with the help of a thorough dental cleaning. As such, harmful bacteria will grow inside your mouth and become the source of all your oral health issues, including gingivitis and periodontal disease.

There are 3 stages to gum disease:

First is gingivitis, which is identifiable by red, swollen, tender gums that may sometimes bleed. If you catch on to these signs of gingivitis early, you can easily correct the problem by properly brushing and flossing your teeth.

However, if you let gingivitis develop further, you’ll start having symptoms of mild to moderate periodontitis. The connective tissue surrounding your teeth wears down and doesn’t redevelop, resulting in inflammation and bleeding around your teeth. As a result, there’s a gap between your gums and teeth which quickly turns into a home for harmful bacteria. This is not only painful, but hard to recover from without the help of your dentist.

Lastly, should you ignore the signs of your teeth telling you to get help, you’ll face advanced periodontitis. In this stage, the pockets between your teeth and gums widen, plaque will advance its attack on the roots and pulp of your teeth and eventually it’ll cause significant tooth loss.

Don’t let gum disease become a problem for you. There are a few early warning signs easy to identify that’ll protect you from periodontal disease. This includes bad breath that lasts, red or swollen gums, receding gums, pain while chewing and loose or sensitive teeth.

Brush and Floss Your Teeth Properly to Prevent Gum Disease

Healthy gums and healthy teeth start with brushing your teeth and flossing the way your dentists prescribes. Both are equally important, alongside visits to your dentists on a biannual basis. Keep in mind though, that the battle against gum disease is never ending, providing zero excuses to ever neglect your teeth.

You may not think about it, but brushing your teeth isn’t the same as brushing your teeth correctly. At first, brushing your teeth the right way may seem complicated, but it’ll only get easier over time and through application.

• Brush your teeth in the morning when you wake up and right before you go to bed.
• Angle your toothbrush at 45° angle against your gums and brush every tooth 15-20 times each.
• On the outer surfaces of your teeth using short, back and forth strokes.
• Use vertical, short downward strokes on your inner upper-front teeth and short upward strokes on your lower inside teeth.
• Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and fluoride toothpaste. Look into purchasing an electric toothbrush.

On top of that you should also follow these toothbrush tips.

• Don’t eat or drink anything but water for at least 30 minutes after brushing your teeth.
• Replace your toothbrush once every 3 months, after you overcome a cold or similar illness, or once you notice the bristles fraying.
• Don’t cover your toothbrush or store it in a closed container. Doing so promotes the development of bacteria on your toothbrush.

Next up is flossing, which is just as important as brushing your teeth. Flossing helps you clean the other half of your teeth a toothbrush cannot reach. You may not like flossing, but provided you’re not digging into your gums it should only take a minute or two to ensure you have cleaner teeth every day.

• Cut off 18 inches of floss from its spool and wind it between your index fingers until you only have a couple inches to use.
• Use a curved motion and slide the floss up and down between your teeth, stopping right as you reach the gum line. Press against the sides of both teeth and make vertical strokes.
• Make sure after every tooth you move along the line of floss. There’s no point flossing if you move all the gunk stuck between one pair of teeth to another.

Pay Attention to What You Eat

Food is the primary contributor of plaque and bacteria living in your mouth. There’re some foods, like sticky sweets and candies that can be detrimental to your teeth, but overall if you maintain a balanced diet you have nothing to worry about. Make sure to include plenty of calcium-rich foods including dairy products and leafy vegetables in your meal plan, as this vital mineral helps your teeth stay strong and stable. If you chew gum, make sure it’s a sugar free brand. However, so long as keep up your oral health care you shouldn’t really have to nitpick what you’re eating.

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Now that you know what gum disease is and what you can do to stop it, make sure you are doing everything in your power to prevent it. That includes going to your dentist! Make sure you schedule your visit to One Stop Implants & Dental today by calling 800.862.2249 or filling out our appointment form online.