Gum Disease – How to Prevent it?

Gum disease is known to be a silent threat because it can cause serious medical conditions such as heart disease, stroke and blocked arteries. To keep gum disease at bay, you must make good oral hygiene habits a part of your daily life.

What are the causes?

When bacteria on the teeth and gums are given the chance to multiply, they form plaque that coats the teeth, and goes below the gums to harden into thick tartar. Tartar is difficult to get rid of, and ultimately it separates the gums and teeth by forming deep spaces.

As tartar fills into these spaces, the gums become inflamed, and infection takes root. The periodontal tissue destroys the gums, and enters into the neighboring bones and flesh. At its worse, this disease will weaken the dental tissue so that it cannot hold the tooth, and eventually, the jawbone weakens. Consequently, you can start to lose some teeth.

You can prevent gum disease in three ways!

Dentists are qualified to help you prevent gum disease. Your Thornhill dentist can provide you with some basic suggestions.

Prevent gum disease with healthy habits

By practicing good oral hygiene habits, you can prevent gum disease from settling in:

• Brushing your teeth at the end of each meal using a soft-bristled toothbrush;
• Set your toothbrush facing the gums to ensure that the bristles go way below the gum-line;
• Don’t be harsh on your gums or else you may irritate them;
• Make circular movements while brushing your teeth;
• Change your toothbrush every three months, or as soon as the bristles begin to bend;
• Floss your teeth once everyday to remove any food particles lying below the gum-line, and in front of and behind the tooth;
• Use an antiseptic rinse to get rid of bacteria after you brush your teeth;
• Strengthen your dental enamel with a fluoride rinse;
• Every week, soak your toothbrush in a little hydrogen peroxide. This will kill any bacteria that reside in your brush;
• Make a dry mix of baking soda and sea salt in a 6:1 ratio. Dip your finger into it and massage your teeth and gums with this mixture. Rinse your mouth. This practice gets rid of plaque-causing bacteria;
• Visit your dentist for regular check-ups.

Prevent gum disease with a healthy diet

Your Thornhill dentist will advise you to eat certain foods to prevent gum disease:

• Drink tea, not coffee: Coffee gives you elevated cortisol levels which induces stress. Drink more chamomile tea which has a calming effect;
• Eat beef, lamb and oysters: These zinc-rich foods are good for you as they have antioxidants and are anti-inflammatory. They also have high immunity which can fight gum disease effectively;
• Eat Vitamin C-rich foods: These foods include milk, potatoes, broccoli and oranges. Eat spinach for its high beta-carotene levels and other leafy green vegetables. Carrots, sweet potatoes and apricots are also good;
• Vitamin E-abundant foods: They are good for immunity and are available in nuts and leafy green vegetables;
• Drink a lot of water: This helps produce the necessary saliva that’s instrumental in killing disease-causing bacteria.

Prevent gum disease with lifestyle changes

Take your dentist’s advice on gum disease and make these lifestyle changes to prevent the onset of gum disease:

• Lower your stress levels by breathing deeply, listening to soothing music and quitting smoking;
• Work out regularly to prevent plaque from forming in your mouth, heart and arteries;
• Reduce your intake of unhealthy processed foods!

You should practice these changes not only in order to prevent gum disease but for the sake of your overall health. If your mouth is healthy, chances are the rest of you is too!