What to Do to Keep Gums Healthy?

Are you worried about your gum disease or your gums bleeding often? These are the signs of bad oral health. Healthy gums indicate good oral health and good oral health is associated with good oral hygiene. Use a fluoride toothpaste for brushing our teeth twice a day. Flossing regularly can also help prevent gum disease and keep your gum healthy. Gum disease if left untreated over time, can lead to several other diseases ,like tooth loss, gum bleeding and bad breath. However, there are several ways which help prevent these oral diseases and treating gum disease, including:

• Quitting smoking.
• Brushing your teeth twice a day.
• Using a best recommended toothpaste.
• Choosing the right mouthwash.
• Taking care when rinsing out the mouth.
• Flossing regularly.
• Having regular dental checkups.

Bright, flawless and cavity-free teeth are not the surety of having good oral health. Sometimes if gum disease appears very late and thus you cannot identify the disease soon. The strategies mentioned above can simply help you keep your gums healthy and disease-free.

In addition, whenever you talk about your oral health, it doesn’t mean to discuss how bright your smile is and how many white or straight teeth you have. It actually means the health of your gums and teeth. From teeth and gums the gums are more important because you cannot identify the destructive changes in your gums on time. This may cause severe problems for your oral health. 

In this article you will learn about the steps that can help you keep your gums healthy and also some simple diet tips necessary for having healthy gums. The article also includes the suggestions to find out the signs of gum disease. 

What is Gum Disease?

When plaque starts to build up under and along your gums, gum disease occurs. A large number of bacteria are found in the plaque that cause damage and infections in your gums and teeth. The sticky film-like material of plaque causes tooth decay and gum disease. Gingivitis gum disease is also caused by plaque. The gingivitis is recognized as a gum diseases that causes the following in your gums:

• Swelling.
• Tenderness.
• Inflammation.
• Redness.
• Bleeding. 

However, this condition does not affect your bone, and tissue fibers that work to hold your teeth in their specified places.

Another serious gum disease periodontitis can be caused by bad oral hygiene. The advanced form of periodontitis causes destruction of bones and fibers supporting your teeth. This can cause removal of affected teeth. Common signs of having a gum diseases include:

• Tender, swollen, and red gums.
• Bleeding through gums.
• Pull gums from your teeth.
• Losing permanent teeth.
• Feeling bad breath or taste consistently. 

Fortunately, gum disease is preventable and treatable. Some easy steps to keep your gums healthy are jotted below:

Effective Ways to Keep the Gums Healthy and Prevent Gum Disease

Your oral health is linked with taking care of your gums and teeth. Oral hygiene needs adopting the following habits. These habits also can help prevent gum disease.

Brushing Your Teeth Regularly

Brushing your teeth properly is the basic step to keep your gums healthy. Medical experts recommended that following some simple tips can help your gums be healthy. The tips include:

• Use a soft-bristle toothbrush to brush your teeth.
• Use a fluoride containing  toothpaste.
• Change your toothbrush every 2 to 3 months.
• Don’t use a brush if its bristles begin to fray.

Choosing the Right Toothpaste

You can find many varieties of toothpaste in the market. Some are to whiten your teeth and contain baking soda to make teeth prominently white. However, experts recommended that it is necessary to choose a toothpaste containing fluoride because fluoride is an essential mineral that keeps your teeth and gums healthy. 

Flossing Regularly

Flossing is considered an important step in oral hygiene. Dental experts suggest that regular flossing helps remove plaque and food particles from between teeth and gums. If you neglect daily flossing, this can lead to accumulation and building up of plaque and food particles on your gums which can lead to sticking of tartar. Tartar is the hard material containing bacteria that builds up on your teeth and gums. The tartar leads to gum diseases.

Rinsing Your Mouth Carefully

Many experts recommend a careful rinsing of the mouth after brushing your teeth. However, studies suggest that your oral hygiene practices are being complimented the effectiveness of fluoride calibration toothpaste or mouthwash. Hence, when  you rinse out your mouth after brushing your teeth with a fluoride toothpaste, you actually wash away the fluoride. Thus, you should rinse your mouth after eating, this can rinse away food particles and bacteria which may lead to prevention of buildup of tartar and plaque. 

Choosing Right Mouthwash

Most of the dental care experts suggest that using therapeutic mouthwash can help keep your gums healthy. This means out of two types of mouthwash, cosmetic and therapeutic, the therapeutic one is more effective. According to their research, therapeutic mouthwash can:

• Prevent building up of plaque on your teeth.
• Prevent gum disease.
• Remove food particles and bacteria from your mouth.
• Overcome the accumulation of tartar on your teeth.

But you cannot use a mouthwash to replace flossing or brushing. This should be done along with flossing and brushing properly. 

In addition, experts also suggest that the mouthwash is not suitable for children with age less than 8 years. Always use the mouthwash with a seal of ADA.  This seal is a symbol of a product having safe and effective ingredients. 

Getting Dental Check Ups Regularly

Tartar stuck to your teeth causes several dental and oral health issues. The tartar can be removed through a professional cleaning procedure. Professional dental cleaning of gums and teeth helps eliminate the plaque stuck to your teeth which couldn’t be removed with brushing. 

In addition, your dentist can recognize the early signs of gum disease, when you visit them regularly. Early detection of inflammation or bleeding of gums can lead to severe dental problems such as gingivitis.

Oil Pulling

This oral hygiene practice helps reduce bacteria, gingivitis and plaque build ups in your mouth. This old method of mouth cleaning involves swishing a little amount of oil in your mouth for a few minutes. This technique is used to improve your breath and whiten your teeth. People usually use coconut oil, sesame oil and sunflower oil for oil pulling procedures. Follow the given instructions to get hundred percent results.

• Fill your mouth with one tablespoon of oil.
• Swish it around for 10-15 minutes.
• Rinsing can remove the residue of oil, so it’s time to rinse your mouth with salt water.
• Start your brushing or flossing procedure.

Experts suggest that oil pulling once a day on a regular basis can give you best results. But you have to do it early in the morning with an empty stomach. Remember, swallowing of oil can cause harm to you because it contains toxins and bacteria present in your mouth. 

Quitting Smoking

According to experts, when you smoke you are more likely to develop a gum disease than a non-smoker. Smoking plays a vital role in weakening your immune system and makes you more susceptible to gum diseases. Quitting smoking can help reduce the risk of gingivitis or other gum diseases. Stop the use of other tobacco products to reduce plaque and tartar buildings on your teeth and gums. 

Dietary Suggestions to Keep Your Gums Healthy

Your eating habits directly affect your oral health. Different foods can affect your teeth and gums in different ways. Incorporating some foods can impact your teeth and gums positively. These foods include:

• Dairy products, including yogurt, milk,and cheese because such foods help promote saliva production in your mouth.
• Sugar-free gums, as chewing them, also promote saliva production.
• Fiber-rich vegetables and fruits which keep your gums and teeth clean. 
• Fluoride contains products such as seafood, poultry products and water.
• Green teas and black teas because they help kill bacteria found in your mouth.

Similarly, avoiding the following foods and beverages can help prevent gum disease:

• Carbonated beverages, rich in citric acid and phosphorus with sugar.
• Sticky sweets and candies that stay in your mouth for a longer time.
• Alcoholic drinks that make your mouth dry.

Symptoms of Unhealthy Gums

Most gum diseases do not show severe or prominent symptoms. That’s why gum diseases cannot be identified at early stages. So you should be confirmed about the minute and ordinary signs of gum disease so that you can take steps immediately to prevent the disease risks. Studies show that most gum diseases start with mild signals and progress with time. The mildest form of gum disease is gingivitis in which you may have swollen and red gums that tend to bleed easily. This condition also causes bad breath. Gingivitis does not cause a specific pain or tooth loosening. You can treat this disease by taking good care of your portal hygiene and oral health.

In addition, experts say that if gingivitis is left untreated over time, it can lead to periodontitis. Periodontitis indicates the accumulation of tartar and plaque on your teeth and gum line speedily. Plaque is rich in bacteria that cause irritation in your gums and trigger inflammation in your gums. This condition results in the destruction of bones and tissues that provide support to your teeth to remain at their appropriate place. 

Moreover, the periodontitis progression damages your oral health and worsen the condition by deepening the space between your teeth and gums. Periodontitis can be diagnosed by finding some clear signs such as weakness of gum’s connective tissues. Its symptoms don’t appear initially. However, you can observe the following signs when the disease progresses:

• Bleeding gums.
• Puffy and red gums.
• Loosening of teeth.
• Receding gums that makes the appearance of your teeth longer.
• Chronic bad breath.
• Production of pus between your teeth and gums.

Risk Factors for Gum Diseases

A long list of gum disease risk factors can be seen on the dental health department’s online page. But here we are going to shed light on the most dangerous risk factors that increase the chances of getting gum disease. Some of them can be controlled but some cannot. The risk factors include:

• Genetics.
• Age, as older people tend to develop gum diseases.
• Antidepressants, certain heart medications and oral contraceptives.
• Obesity and poor nutrition.
• Use of tobacco products such as smoking.
• Stress or depression.
• Teeth grinding or clenching.

Some inflammatory diseases in the body also increase the risk factors of gum diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. 

When to Seek Help from a Dentist?

Bleeding or pain on your gums lasts for longer than a week is the indication of severe gum disease. Red or swollen gums also signs of unhealthy gums. Experiencing such oral health issues indicate that you need to visit a dentist to seek help for preventing and treating the gum disease.

More symptoms that cause an immediate visit to a dentist include:

• Pain while chewing.
• Red, swollen gums.
• Gums that pull back from teeth.
• Dentures no longer fit correctly.
• Sensitivity in your teeth.
• Bleeding gums.
• Loosening of teeth.

Conclusion

Bad oral hygiene can lead to gum disease. Taking steps to take care of your oral hygiene can help keep your gums healthy. Healthy gums are the symbol of good oral health. 

Brushing teeth regularly, flossing properly, using a right mouthwash and choosing a fluoride toothpaste are some basic steps to prevent gum disease and keep your gums healthy. 

In addition, Regular dental checkups also help reverse gum disease. Seeing a doctor after experiencing any signs of pain or gum bleeding can help you prevent the progression of gum disease.