They can also become inflamed and prone to bleeding which can endanger the health of other areas of your body. That’s why you want to make sure you use these 5 tips to prevent gum disease for better health in general.
1. Brush and Floss to Prevent Gum Disease
Brushing and flossing are the best ways to keep your teeth and gums healthy. Both help to remove food and plaque trapped along the gumline and between teeth.
You should ideally brush your teeth after every meal, but at least brush twice a day for minimally two minutes at a time. Hold your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle and use circular motions.
You should also floss at least once a day. It can be in the morning, in the afternoon, or right before bed, but just make sure you do it. It’s vital for removing plaque your toothbrush can’t reach.
2. Get Regular Dental Checkups
This is another usual suspect that makes common sense. No matter how good your home care regimen is, you’re going to miss some plaque.
Often, plaque can start to build up below the gumline, and you need a dental checkup to clean it out of there. If you want to really prevent gum disease, you’ll see your dentist at least twice a year and more often if you have some kind of problem.
3. Use Fluoride Toothpaste
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that helps keep your entire mouth healthy. If you make sure that your toothpaste has fluoride and the ADA seal of acceptance, you can be sure you’ve chosen the best brand to prevent gum disease.
Fluoride in your toothpaste will help make your mouth more resistant to acid attacks from the food you eat. It also reverses early decay and helps your tooth enamel to absorb important minerals.
4. Use a Good Mouthwash
A good mouthwash is a therapeutic mouthwash that will reduce gingivitis – that’s inflammation of the gums, the first symptom of gum disease. Therapeutic mouthwashes can also reduce the formation of tartar and plaque.
By rinsing your mouth with a therapeutic mouthwash when you’re brushing and/or flossing your teeth, you’ll be doing everything you can to prevent gum disease.
5. Quit Smoking
Quitting smoking is good for many reasons, and you can add preventing gum disease to that list. Smoking suppresses your immune system, and that makes it harder for your body to fight off the gum infections that lead to gum disease.
Final Thoughts
If you want to prevent gum disease, it’s important to add these 5 tips to your oral healthcare regimen. If you have any questions, please contact Duval Periodontics in the Savannah area today, and we’ll be happy to talk to you about good oral healthcare.