4 Smart Steps To Preventing Gum Disease
Periodontal disease, also called gum disease, actually impacts more than just the gums. It can cause tooth loss and even loss of bone in the jaw. But some simple home-care actions can help you prevent gum disease and go a long way toward getting any periodontal problems you have under control.
Here are four important steps from your San Diego dental experts, that you can take each day to prevent and treat gum disease by cleaning your teeth better:
- Use a homemade toothpaste or the best natural store-bought toothpaste you can find to clean your teeth thoroughly. Be sure to use a soft-bristled brush so you don’t scratch your teeth or gums — or try an electric toothbrush.
- Brush your gums as well as your teeth by brushing into the gums to disturb the pockets of harmful bacteria that lead to the negative consequences of gum disease.
- Correctly use dental floss to clean bacteria and lodged food debris from the gaps in between teeth where it’s impossible for a toothbrush to reach.
- Use oxygenated water. If bacteria is a problem for you, smother it away by using ozonized water from an ozonizer. These machines add extra oxygen to the water you use to clean your teeth, and the kind of bacteria that does damage can’t live in the presence of oxygen.
When you have a real problem with periodontal disease, a dentist can clear away the bacteria and smooth out the tooth surface so that gums will seal down better by removing plaque and tartar during a tooth scaling or deep cleaning procedure. This usually only has a temporary benefit and must be repeated. A dentist can also trim back gums to physically remove pockets, but this causes sensitivity and can be very unpleasant.
If you don’t already have gum disease, the best advice is to prevent it with good home care. If you already have a problem, let a dentist help you devise the right plan of attack.
To read about how periodontal disease can affect the rest of the body, see www.brightondentalsd.com/procedures/periodontal-disease/mouth-body-connection
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