Keeping your gums healthy is very important to maintaining quality oral health. Keeping your gums healthy helps you avoid harmful bacteria that could otherwise grow in your mouth and cause serious health complications in the future. Many people believe that taking care of their gums is not as important as taking care of their teeth themselves, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Your entire mouth needs to get well cared for to help you maintain your best possible oral health. The following are 7 great tips that you can use to help keep your gums healthy as possible in the future:
Floss Regularly
Floss at least once per day to remove plaque and tartar that could otherwise infiltrate and infect your gum line. Whether you do your flossing in the morning or evening is irrelevant, as long as it is done consistently at least once per day.
Brush Twice Per Day
Brushing your teeth twice per day removes the excess food particle sand sugars from your teeth and gum line that can cause infection. An electric toothbrush can ensure a closer clean that will eliminate the bacteria in your mouth that can cause tartar and plaque buildup along your gums.
Use Fluoridated Toothpaste
Fluoridated toothpaste can help reduce gingivitis, whiten teeth, and freshen your breath. Always choose a toothpaste that has the American Dental Association (ADA) seal of approval and acceptance.
Brush Properly
Brushing in small back-and-forth strokes focusing on small sections of your mouth at a time is the best way to ensure that you remove all of the plaque and tartar buildup along with your teeth and gum line. Brushing for two full minutes is vital to removing all of the plaque and tartar from your teeth and keeping your gums the healthiest.
Use A Therapeutic Mouthwash
Using a therapeutic mouthwash will help reduce the incidence of plaque and tartar and can reduce the risk that you have of getting gingivitis. The rinses can also help get the food particles out of your mouth before they settle in and do long-term damage to your gums. Be sure to choose a seal with the American Dental Association (ADA) seal of approval to ensure a good quality rinse is getting used.
Go For Regular Dental Cleanings
Ensuring that you are getting your regular dental cleanings every 6 months can help catch any signs or symptoms of gingivitis (gum disease) or periodontitis as early as possible to ensure that it gets treated before it gets worse. Your dentist will also have your hygienist clean along the gum line to get out any plaque that brushing and flossing alone may find.
Kick Smoking
If you are a smoker, there is almost nothing worse for your oral health than the ingredients your teeth are exposed to while you are smoking a cigarette. Smoking has always gotten strongly associated with gum disease, and smoking can make it harder for the body to fight off infection if your gums were to get infected, which makes healing more difficult.
Taking proper care of your oral health can largely eliminate many of the risks that you have of getting gum disease. Your mouth will stay healthy for years to come and you will have a beautiful smile to show for it.
To schedule your regular cleaning please feel free to contact us at the Westmoreland Dental Group to set up your appointment at your earliest convenience!