How To Keep Gum Disease Away
Gum disease is a serious oral health threat that most people don’t even know they have. In fact, half of all adults will have gum disease at some point in their lives. Plus, the older we get, the more prone to infection we are, and that includes gum disease. Thankfully, gum disease is entirely preventable!
What Is Gum Disease?
Gum disease is an infection of the soft tissues that hold teeth in place. Healthy gums are pink and tight around the teeth to keep harmful bacteria from getting to the sensitive enamel underneath, where the sensitive tooth roots are.
When plaque and tartar build up around the gumline, that soft tissue gets irritated and inflamed, eventually pulling away from the teeth, a.k.a. gum recession. Loose gum tissue creates pockets in which bacteria are free to settle and create problems for teeth.
Why Gum Disease Is So Hard to Detect
The early signs of gum disease are subtle and usually painless. Unless you know what to look for, it’s easy to miss them. Simply not knowing what to look for is another reason gum disease usually develops undetected. If you’re waiting for a clear visual signal that your gums are infected, you’ll likely end up waiting too long to catch gum disease in the early stages, while it’s still reversible.
Our Recommendations for Healthy Gums
- Brush After Every Meal
It’s not extreme — it’s good oral hygiene. Brushing after every meal is the best preventive health habit you can develop. Every time you eat, food gets lodged between your teeth and under your gums. The sugars (which include carbohydrates) in food attract acid-producing bacteria because it’s their favorite food source. Brushing your teeth after you eat takes away their food and keeps your teeth cleaner throughout the day.
- Never Skip the Dental Floss
Flossing at night is good oral hygiene. Every time you floss, you’re cleaning up to 40% more than with brushing alone. If you’re really serious about keeping gum disease away, floss after every meal. You’ll notice a big difference in your overall oral health the next time you visit us for an examination.
- Limit the Starch and Sugar
It’s good advice for a healthy diet and for healthy gums. The bacteria in your mouth love to feed on the sugar that sticks to tooth enamel. When they do, the byproduct is plaque, a substance that stays on tooth enamel and makes the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. If plaque doesn’t get cleaned away relatively quickly, it hardens and then can only be scraped off with a special dental tool. Over time, the gum tissue underneath will become irritated and may start to bleed, indicating gum disease.
- Visit McMillan Family Dental Every 6 Months!
When you see us for a professional cleaning and examination, your hygienist will remove any lingering plaque and tartar from your teeth, check your gums for deep pockets, and ensure you don’t have any signs of gum disease. Plus, your dentist will examine your mouth to make sure your teeth and gums are looking and functioning as they should.
If we find any sign of gum disease, we’ll recommend treatment. Sometimes, all it takes is a more consistent oral hygiene routine at home. In some cases, though, we need to perform a deep cleaning to get the ball rolling in the right direction.
Gum disease is hard to spot on your own, but you can keep it from happening with good oral hygiene at home and routine cleanings at McMillan Family Dental, located in Meridian, ID. Call us to schedule your next cleaning and examination or if you have any concerns about your oral health.
