How to Prevent Gum Disease

In terms of your overall oral health, avoiding gum disease is a huge step in the right direction. Sure, there are other issues you’d like to steer clear of while maintaining your oral health, but simply managing to stay away from gum disease is a great start. Unfortunately, many people don’t know that they are actively raising the likelihood of developing gum disease as a result of some of their habits. By cleaning up your habits – and establishing some new, positive ones instead – you can dramatically reduce the chances of winding up with periodontal disease.

Let’s take a look at a few simple steps you can take to prevent gum disease.

No Surprise for Starters

You may not be a dentist, but you already know what is going to be the first point on this list – brushing your teeth! It seems that virtually everything with regard to oral health starts here. When you brush your teeth, you are taking food debris and plaque away from both your teeth and your gums. This is an important activity and one that is easy to complete. Given that it only takes a couple of minutes of your time, and costs very little in terms of supplies, there is really no excuse to fall behind on your brushing.

The great thing about brushing your teeth regularly is the payoff that you get for your overall oral health. Not only will regular brushing reduce your likelihood of winding up with gum disease, but you’ll also enjoy a variety of other benefits. Your teeth will look better, you will have a better chance to avoid things like cavities, and your breath will even smell better. Across the board, it’s hard to think of a more beneficial way to spend two minutes.

Consider Adding Mouthwash to Your Routine

Simply brushing your teeth a couple times per day is going to go a long way toward fighting off gum disease. Is that going to be enough on its own? Maybe – maybe not. To take another step in the right direction, consider turning to a mouthwash for even more anti-plaque power. Just like brushing, this is something you can do that requires minimal time and yet offers plenty of benefits. Also like brushing, using mouthwash can make your breath smell better, along with the oral health advantages.

Do You Floss?

It’s easy to think that you don’t need to bother flossing if you do a good job of brushing regularly. That simply isn’t the case. Brushing is a great start, but flossing is going to accomplish something that brushing simply cannot. When you floss correctly, you’ll be able to pull food particles out from in between your teeth and out of your mouth. Even a great toothbrush and excellent technique is not going to be enough to get the small food particles that have become stuck between your teeth.

We can admit that getting started flossing is a bit of a challenge for some people. For one thing, mastering the right technique can be tricky. Dental floss is hard to hold onto, and you are trying to work in a small space that you can’t see without the help of a mirror. Also, flossing can be a bit uncomfortable at first, as you get used to the process and master your technique. Don’t let these concerns put you off from developing this important habit. If you feel that you need help learning how to floss correctly, please feel free to ask your dentist for assistance. With a little guidance from an expert, you can get started with this habit right away.

Avoid Increasing Your Risk

So far, we’ve been talking about relatively basic oral hygiene steps, like brushing, flossing, and using mouthwash. Those are important, but the way you live your life, in general, is also going to play a role in the likelihood that you wind up with gum disease. For instance, smoking is going to put you at a higher risk of gum disease (in addition to many other negative health outcomes). Stay away from cigarettes and you’ll immediately be less likely to wind up with a gum disease issue.

Beyond smoking, other factors that can play into your gum disease odds include age and diet. Of course, there is nothing you can do about your age, but you are in control of your diet. A diet which is filled with foods that are considered healthy for your body as a whole is likely to be a diet that will treat your gums properly, as well.

Visit Your Dentist Regularly

In addition to the various at-home care steps you can take, it’s also important to visit your dentist periodically. By having your teeth cleaned in a dental office, and having your mouth examined for signs of trouble, you will stand a good chance of staying clear of gum disease¹. Work together with your dentist to create a schedule of visits that will serve your needs. Don’t make the mistake of skipping out on your visits because you think everything is fine in your mouth. You might not be noticing any issues at the moment, but a checkup with your dentist could reveal problems that may be coming around the corner. Since it is so quick and easy to schedule an appointment at Spokane Dental, there is really no excuse for skipping out on this part of the process.

Of course, there is no guarantee that establishing good habits will permit you to stay away from gum disease in the long run. These positive changes will help your chances, however, so you might as well get started on making good choices as soon as possible. If you need any help with establishing a healthy tooth and gum care routine, or if you need to have your current oral health examined, the team at Spokane Dental will be happy to help. Contact our office right away to schedule an appointment². Thank you for taking a moment to visit our blog!

Resources

1. https://www.spokanedental.com/Content/Page/Periodontal-Gum-Disease-Treatment
2. https://www.spokanedental.com/Contact