Periodontal Care
McMinnville, OR
 How To Care For Your Gums
No one wants to deal with gum disease at any stage, but periodontal disease does come in four stages. If you can care for your gums properly, then it will never get past the first stage. If it even comes for you at all. No one knows more about periodontal disease than our dentists at Hometown Dental and we want to show you the best ways to prevent it.
While stage one of gum disease seems harmless, with just a little bleeding around the gum line and no pain, it is still important to nip it in the bud. If your gum disease gets to stage four you might start losing teeth. No one wants that at all!
Proper Gum Maintenance
Most of the talk about taking care of your mouth is all about your teeth. Brush your teeth, floss your teeth, clean your teeth, and care for your teeth. However, proper gum care is good too, and it does start with a healthy mouth.
In order to keep food particles, and by extension bacteria, out of your mouth, you need to brush your teeth to remove them. This helps to defend your gums from the bacteria that will cause periodontal disease.
Make sure to floss daily and go all the way up to the gumline. You need to get rid of as much food as possible, and diligent flossing helps.
Cut Back On Smoking
Smoking can blacken your gums and cause stains on your teeth, and if you do not stop smoking the cigarettes, the damage can spread through your entire body. Smoking will ruin the gumline and also weakens the body’s immune system. If or when gum disease does strike your body, you want to make sure that your defenses are in tip-top shape. This is another reason for smokers to quit smoking, so if you are on the fence about quitting, then quit cold turkey for your gums!
Invest In Some Mouthwash
Many people brush and floss, and some even do it diligently and correctly. However, not everyone uses the best tool for cleaning your mouth: Mouthwash. If you can invest in a high-quality mouthwash, it will kill the majority of germs and bacteria in your mouth. No bacteria, and no risk of gum disease.
Focus On Your Gums
While you do not want to do it hard, you can also gently run a wet washcloth or your toothbrush over your gumline to give them a targeted clean. Just make sure to be gentle, as putting too much pressure on your gums can cause them to bleed and get hurt.
Caring for gums might not be the most talked about thing in the dental world, but if you want to prevent gum disease and save your mouth, then it has to be an important part of your teeth care. Our dental team at Hometown Dental is ready to help you out, and we will be able to ensure that your gums remain healthy. Give us a call at 971-287-3477 and our team can walk you through some easy habits that will get you healthier gums and schedule a dental exam today. |
