7 Ways to Keep Your Gums Healthy
Since you’re interested in keeping your gums healthy, you probably know that failing to do so can have severe health consequences. When gums get diseased, you could experience tooth loss or even bone loss in the jaw, and several studies seem to indicate a link between gum disease and cardiovascular disease. We look at seven easy ways to keep gums healthy – and while you’re about it you will be keeping your teeth healthy too!
1. Healthy Eating
This tip will help you to maintain whole body health and vitality. Help your body to keep itself, and your teeth and gums, healthy by eating foods with calcium, vitamin D, and omega-3s. You’ll get loads of the good stuff by eating leafy veg, citrus fruit, dairy products, and “oily” fish like salmon. And don’t forget that a good crunchy piece of fruit is great for cleaning up your teeth. Celan teeth are the first step towards healthy gums.
2. Rinse Your Mouth After Eating Acidic Foods or Sugary Foods
The bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum disease thrive in an acidic environment. Your saliva slowly restores the balance, but you can help things along by rinsing your mouth out. For the sake of your teeth, it’s not a good idea to brush them too often, but if rinsing seems like too much trouble, be sure to carry some sugar free gum with you. It will stimulate saliva production, helping to keep teeth and gums healthy.
3. You Guessed it: Brush and Floss
Gum disease is caused by bacteria and so is tooth decay. The only way we can clear this from our mouths is through regular brushing and flossing. Flossing once a day is sufficient and helps to remove lurking plaque from just under the gumline.
Don’t go crazy, though! Hard toothbrushes or very vigorous brushing can do more harm than good.
4. Quit Smoking
Smoking is bad news for oral health. And as we already know, it comes with slew of other health risks. Apart from being a causative factor in oral cancers, smoking weakens your immune system which makes it harder for your body to fight off infection.
5. Use a Mouthwash That’s Approved by Your Dentist
Not all mouthwashes are good for your teeth, but if you use the right kind of mouthwash, swishing it around your mouth will reach spaces that not even brushing and flossing can get to. But remember, some mouthwashes really don’t make the grade, so feel free to ask your Fairview dentist if you aren’t sure which brands to choose.
6. Go for Your Regular Dental Check-ups
We tend to wait until there’s something wrong before we visit medical professionals, but when it comes to dentistry, waiting for symptoms means you could already have a serious problem. Allow your dentist to check your teeth and gums regularly.
At your dental visit, your dentist might recommend in-office teeth cleaning. This removal of tough tartar also helps to keep your gums healthy.
7. Dig in to Dairy
You probably learned that you can get loads of calcium from dairy products when you were at school. It’s a fact worth remembering if you want to keep your teeth and gums healthy! As for eating cheese after meals, it helps to restore the balance in your mouth – so whoever first came up with the idea of the after-dinner cheese platter was onto a good thing.
Are You Worried About Your Gums?
If you’re reading this because you’ve noticed something worrying about your gums, don’t delay in seeing your dentist. A lot of people think that gums bleeding after brushing teeth isn’t particularly important. But it’s an early symptom of gum disease that can lead to more serious issues. Be sure to make your appointment as soon as possible.
