Gum disease prevention begins with you and the oral health habits you engage in. Many people realize they may have a problem with their teeth when they find blood on their toothbrush, have frequent bad breath or have red/swollen/tender gums.
According to the American Dental Association (ADA), these are all symptoms of gingivitis, which is an early stage of periodontal disease. If you want to actually engage in gum disease prevention, there are a few steps you need to take on a regular basis to help prevent the onset of gum disease and keep your mouth in good shape.
Preventing gum disease
The first and most important step in gum disease prevention begins at home with your tooth brushing habits. Even if you have the best toothbrush habits of anyone you know, here are few tips you can use in order to help prevent gum disease.
As part of a gum disease prevention strategy, we highly recommend that you use a soft bristle toothbrush, which is small enough to allow the bristles to get into even some of those hard-to-reach places. Any time your brush leaves plaque in a hard-to-reach place, there's the potential that it can lead to gingivitis, periodontal disease, or an even more serious condition.
Proper brushing technique is crucial
When you are brushing your teeth with your soft bristle toothbrush, we recommend that you place your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle against the gum line. In addition, we recommend that you brush your teeth for a minimum of two minutes and use short, gentle strokes on each tooth.
It is also advisable that you brush your teeth in a pattern so you do not miss any critical areas. Improper brushing will risk leaving behind plaque and increasing your chances of gum disease prevention. Gum disease prevention also involves replacing your toothbrush - or old toothbrush head, if you use an electronic toothbrush - a minimum of once every six months. If you are using an old or worn out brush, the bristles can harbor bacteria.
In addition, frayed bristles will not do a good enough job of getting rid of the plaque. If you have ever wondered why your dentist gives you a goodie bag with a new toothbrush when you visit for your six-month visit, now you know the answer.
Flossing is also important
Another outstanding gum disease prevention method is to properly floss your teeth a minimum of once a day, ideally before you head to bed. The best way to do this is to wrap an 18-inch piece of floss around your middle finger in each hand. Without damaging the gum tissue in between your teeth, bring the floss over the gum tissue and around the teeth to go beneath the gum line and floss on both sides of the tooth.
It is important to make sure you clean the floss before moving from one to the other, so you are not transmitting any potential bacteria. Finally, there is no substitute for getting your teeth professionally cleaned to remove plaque and reduce bacterial toxins at least once a year.
Request a dental appointment here: http://www.gatewaydental.org or call Gateway Dental Dr. William Swann DDS at (301) 485-7492 for an appointment in our Bowie dental office.
Recent Posts
Periodontics focuses on diagnosing and treating issues that affect gum tissues and the other structures that support teeth. They provide a wide range of treatments, from restorative treatments for periodontal disease to cosmetic treatments aimed at improving the aesthetics of a person’s smile.Here are a few of the popular treatments used in periodontics to address…
Periodontal disease is one of the issues dentists deal with often. It is typically a slow and painless disease that can reach the advanced stages before you have any noticeable symptoms. Ironically, the early stages of periodontal disease can be easily reversed with basic treatment and improved oral hygiene. The latter stages, however, can only…
Preventive dentistry centers around a few core values: Practice good daily oral hygiene, never skip a dental cleaning and avoid sugar. Steering clear of sugary food and drinks is one of the pillars of dentistry.Read on to discover the seven things you need to know about the connection between sugar and tooth health.The mouth is…
The ideal shade of white targeted during teeth whitening treatments is a few shades lighter than the white of the patient’s eyes. Whitening treatments can make teeth whiter than that, but the results typically would not look natural compared to the rest of the patient’s physical features. Teeth whitening treatments aim to get the patient…