No one will dispute just how important your teeth are — certainly not any dentist in Livonia! Having said that, every dentist wants to make sure you don’t overlook your gums.
Why are your gums important?
Your gum tissues protect the interior of your jaw and the roots of your teeth from bacteria. Those same gum tissues support the bases of your teeth and help to hold them in position. Just like your teeth, your gums are exposed to food particles and bacteria while you eat and drink, and afterward. Just like your teeth, your gums are vulnerable to infection. In the case of your gums, that infection is called the periodontal disease of one of two types: gingivitis or periodontitis.
A study by Harvard University has determined that people with periodontal disease are at higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, diabetes, dementia, and even complications with pregnancy.
How to keep your gums healthy
For all those reasons — beyond the importance of your gums to your dental and oral health — pay close attention to these seven tips for keeping your gums healthy. Periodontal treatment in Livonia is available to address gum disease, but it is avoidable.
Brush regularly
When you eat, food particles are inevitably left between your teeth and along your gums. If that food stays there, they will contribute to the reproduction of bacteria that contribute to the development of gum disease. To clear those particles away, brush your teeth thoroughly after every time you eat.
Floss daily
However good you are at brushing your teeth, brushing alone is not enough. Food particles that will fuel bacterial reproduction will lurk in hard to reach places between your teeth and even beneath the lip of your gums. To clear those particles away from between your teeth and beneath the lips of your gums, floss between each and every tooth and below the edge of your gums.
Use mouthwash
Rinsing your mouth with mouthwash will wash away any loose and lurking particles away from any surface of your mouth — teeth, gums, cheeks, tongue, and palettes — to keep them from fueling gum disease. Here’s a pro tip: Don’t use mouthwash immediately after brushing your teeth. If you do, you’ll wash away the beneficial fluoride that was left behind by your toothpaste. Mix up your routine. When you do rinse with mouthwash, you’ll reduce the amount of plaque that may develop into tartar that contributes to periodontal disease.
If you smoke, quit; If you don’t smoke, don’t start
Smoking undermines your immune system and makes you more vulnerable to infection, including periodontal disease, than you would otherwise be. If the worst happens, and you do develop a gum infection, smoking will impair your recovery and prolong the healing process.
Give a traditional home remedy a try
Ancient Ayurveda texts arising out of India describe a wide variety of traditional medical practices, including oil pulling. Oil pulling has been touted as being beneficial to the health of your gums. What is oil pulling? Essentially, oil pulling involves warming and swishing coconut oil (sunflower and sesame oil are other alternatives) around your mouth for roughly ten minutes before spitting it out of your mouth.
See your dentist regularly
Try as you might, it is impossible for you to see all the surfaces of your gums on your own. During regular dental checkups, your dentist in Livonia will use specialized lights and mirrors to inspect your gums completely. The dentist will look for and identify any early indications of gum disease in time to make minimally invasive and quick interventions.
Eat properly
Sugar fuels plaque. Lingering plaque produces tartar. Tartar fuels periodontal disease. To prevent the development of periodontal disease and to keep your gums healthy, avoid constantly eating and drinking sugary beverages, foods, and snacks. Instead, focus on eating fibre-rich fruits and vegetables, and dairy products.
Your gums are essential to your oral and dental health, and much more than that besides. Ensuring your gum health is important and, with attention to these seven suggestions, simple. If you’re concerned about the health of your gums or looking for periodontal treatment near you, contact a dentist near you for advice and support.