Discover essential dentist-approved tips on how to maintain healthy gums. Dive into expert advice to upgrade your oral hygiene today! Learn more.

According to the CDC, almost half of those aged 30 years or older have some form of gum disease. These numbers are devastating if you are taking an active effort to maintain healthy gums and a confident smile.

If you have ever worried about the potential of costly dental treatments or simply want to know more about how to avoid the risk of gum disease, then this article is for you.

Read on to learn the best methods for gum disease prevention without spending more than a few minutes every day focused on oral health. Discover a few simple dental care tips, such as effective brushing techniques and nutritional advice, to help ensure your gums remain resilient in the long term.

According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, the prevalence of gum disease increases as people age. You need to remain vigilant, not only when you are young, but even long into your senior years, to ensure that you continue to stave off the onset of the condition.

The simple act of brushing twice each day with a soft-bristle toothbrush allows you to remove significant levels of plaque from along your gum line. Similarly, flossing once every day can help by cleaning the spaces between your teeth, eliminating the debris and film that builds up there, which brushing often misses.

After brushing, be sure to rinse with an antimicrobial mouthwash, too. Select products with ingredients such as chlorhexidine, which can help destroy the harmful bacteria that often lead to plaque buildup on your teeth, as well as several other issues.

Also, try to rinse your mouth with water or a dedicated fluoride solution after meals, especially when brushing is not possible, to wash away any lingering sugars or acids that could cause damage if they remain.

Dentists will also advise you to replace your toothbrush or brush head every three months. It can be easy to forget, but doing this ensures that your bristles remain firm and effective.

Good Brushing Technique

Good oral health maintenance includes ensuring you not only brush, but also brush right. 

Make sure to angle the brush bristles at around 45 degrees towards the gums, rather than straight at the teeth, and use short and gentle strokes to disrupt the plaque that might start to build up without harming the gums themselves. Apply light pressure so that the bristles flex slightly, but avoid scrubbing too hard, lest they recede faster.

Make sure to brush for two to three minutes, dedicating at least 30 seconds to each quarter of your mouth. Take extra care in areas that feel as though they need it to cover the whole region.

You can also brush the tongue and the roof of your mouth to get rid of any bacteria that are hiding there, too. Some brushes have a special texture on the back, specifically designed for this purpose.

Advanced Flossing Strategies

Consider purchasing waxed floss or PTFE-based tape from a Columbia location. These can glide smoothly across the surface of your teeth and clean them without being damaged when they meet rougher tooth surfaces. 

Then, when it comes to the actual flossing, wrap the floss in a "C" shape around each of your teeth, one at a time, then slide it up and down the gums. Avoid "sawing" the teeth, as this can cause significant damage, literally sawing into your teeth, especially if you pull hard. The point is to clean off any hidden debris or bacterial clusters, rather than focus just on one area.

You can also use interdental brushes if you have specific gaps between your teeth. These can clean the areas without injuring the rest of your mouth.

Subtle Signs of Gum Issues

Watch out for early signs of gum disease to prevent it from getting worse quickly. Some of the key ways to tell are if you have:

• Darker red or purple gums
• Shiny gums
• Swollen sections of gum between teeth
• Mild tenderness when biting gently
• Gum recession and visible roots
• Metallic tastes or faint blood when brushing

Each of these hints that you should involve a dentist to assess the full scale of the disease and offer you advice tailored to your specific situation.

Visiting your dentist regularly is not just sensible. For many people, it may be the only place they receive enough attention to their teeth to discover major problems before it's too late. Check out this list of services that a dental specialist can undertake to help you protect your teeth and prevent existing issues from worsening.

Personalized Screenings and Treatment

Schedule a gingivitis screening every 6-12 months as a part of your regular checkups. These will use specific tools to check for gingivitis and can discover pockets even deep in the gums.

If they find signs of gum disease, the dentist can use several tools at their disposal to reduce its impact. These include:

• Scaling to remove the buildup from gum disease and expose clean gums
• Offer advice on better oral hygiene habits and products
• Laser therapy to destroy or remove diseased tissue
• Education on the benefits of fluoridated water

Reduce Stress and Nicotine

Chronic stress can increase the number of hormones in your body that encourage the creation of harmful proteins, which can lead to various health issues. Make sure to take action to avoid the stress you experience, and avoid unhealthy habits to "take the edge off."

NIH Medline Plus Magazine confirms that smoking can put you at a higher risk of suffering gum problems. For this reason, if you are a smoker, looking for a smoking cessation program can help you to overcome the habits that are putting you in more danger.

Gum disease can have long-term effects, including the potential for the wholesale loss of teeth. Early intervention at Smile Savers Dentistry can help slow and even reverse the disease, restoring the healthy gums you deserve.



Alongside the small dentist recommendations above, Smile Savers can offer local expertise related to community resources, as well as expert procedures, to help you achieve a lasting smile. We understand every person is different, and we want to make you feel at home, even in our dentist chair. So, book your next appointment online and receive genuine care from our team today.