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Guide to Maintain Healthy Gums

You need healthy gums if you want healthy teeth.

By McKenzie JonesPublished about a year ago 4 min read
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Regular, thorough oral hygiene routines are the best way to avoid and deal with gum disease. Many prioritize improving their teeth' appearance by bleaching them rather than gum health. To counter that, you need healthy gums if you want healthy teeth.

Use the Right Toothpaste

Diverse toothpaste, including whitening options and those with baking soda, can be found in the same market section. It's essential to look for the American Dental Association's mark of approval and see if the toothpaste incorporates fluoride.

Brushing Twice Daily

If you wish to maintain healthy teeth, brush them after every meal. You can use this technique to clean the space between your gums and teeth by freeing them of plaque and food. Always wash and brush your tongue, as it may harbor bacteria. The Mayo Clinic recommends using a toothbrush with soft bristles and a shape accessible on the gums and the teeth.

You may desire to acquire an electric or battery-operated toothbrush. Plaque and gingivitis can be reduced more so than by brushing your teeth by hand. After about three to four months, or earlier, if the bristles get frayed, ensure a new toothbrush head.

Flossing Daily

ADA highlights regular flossing as an essential element of dental hygiene. However, many people still don't practice it. Plaque and food are cleaned out from between teeth when you floss.

Tartar is a stubborn deposit of germs that a dental professional can only remove if debris and plaque are left in these places. Tartar can cause gum disease.

Rinsing Your Mouth with Care

Many folks go ahead and rinse their teeth when brushing their teeth. Toothpaste and other fluoride preparations are helpful, but good oral hygiene is also essential. The fluoride applied to your teeth from your toothpaste is gone as you rinse your mouth with water.

Contrarily, rinsing one's mouth out after a meal might help remove germs and food particles that can cause tartar and plaque to build up.

Using Mouthwash

In the eyes of ADA, there are two distinct categories of mouthwash: curative and aesthetic. You can get both of those things without a prescription.

Some of the benefits of using a therapeutic mouthwash include: lowering the risk of developing gum disease, slowing the accumulation of tartar, decreasing plaque buildup, and flushing out leftover organic material from the mouth.

People shouldn't substitute mouthwash for regular flossing and brushing, though. The American Disability Act logo should be looked for. The company has proven the product is effective and safe if given this seal.

The American Dental Association recommends against using mouthwash with children less than 6.

Regular Dental Checkups

When you visit the dentist, they will clean your teeth and gums. Tartar can only be removed from teeth by an expert or hygienist. Cleaning your teeth is another great way to eliminate plaque you might have missed while brushing.

Visiting the dental profession is essential because it allows for detecting gingivitis and other forms of gum inflammation before they progress into more severe gum disease. Issues can be reduced or even avoided if caught early enough.

Balanced Diet

Eating well helps your body mount a defense against illness. Include food high in antioxidant qualities in your meals. Vitamin E is found in nuts and vegetable oils, while vitamin C is found in oranges, potatoes, and broccoli.

If you have diabetes, you should be extremely careful about how much sugar you consume. Diabetes decreases your ability to resist infections and decelerates healing. However, advanced dental disease or periodontitis can increase your blood sugars, making it more challenging to manage your diabetes.

Avoiding Smoking

When you smoke, your immune system suffers. Eating or chewing tobacco increases the risk of developing dental problems. Cigarette chemicals reduce saliva production, making it more likely that bacteria will adhere to your gums.

A person who smokes has twice the risk of developing gum disease as someone who does not smoke. Smokers may also have a reduced response to treatment.

Conclusion

Gum disease may lead to the loss of teeth. The good thing is that gum disease is largely preventable with regular, diligent dental hygiene on the part of the majority of the population. Routine dental care is essential, including brushing, rinsing, and flossing with fluoride toothpaste.

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