7 Preventive Steps To Avoid Gum Disease

Gum disease not only impacts your teeth, but your overall health. Recent studies have found that gingivitis can not only negatively affect oral health, but whole body health. Gum disease can even have consequences on pregnancies and contribute to preterm delivery!

Here are 7 preventative steps to avoid gum disease:

(1.) Brush your teeth

While this may seem like a no brainer, when people are extremely busy or tired, tooth cleanliness may take a back side to things such as sleep. Brushing your teeth, however, is one of the first lines of defense against gum disease. Also, you should talk to your dentist about your brushing technique to ensure that you aren’t actually damaging your gums while brushing.

(2.) Floss regularly

Flossing is one of those things that everyone has the best intention of doing, but can sometimes rarely get done. Flossing strengthens your gums and removes food particles from between your teeth. Getting in the routine of flossing can help your gums stay healthy. If regular floss isn’t for you, try floss picks or a water pick. Try and find the tools that will help you floss the most often.

(3.) See the dentist regularly

Your dental checkups are excellent times to check in on your gum health. As with many things, preventative measures are the best course of treatment because oftentimes once the disease progresses it is too late for many treatments. Even if you’re not a fan of the dentist, force yourself to go to schedule and go to your appointments. Your dentist can alert you if your gums are in trouble and suggest a course of action to get you back on track.

(4.) Eat healthy

It is now being shown that the heathier your diet, the less risk you have of getting gum disease. This makes sense because the better your diet, the less sugars and acids you are probably consuming. Cutting out sodas and other soft drinks are one of the best lines of defense against gum disease. Also, ensuring you get the right vitamins and minerals can support oral health. The better your diet, the less risk factors you will have for gum disease.

(5.) Use mouthwash

Swishing with mouthwash can reduce plaque and food particles within your mouth as well as kill a lot of harmful bacteria. Think of mouthwash as the insurance plan to flossing and brushing, as mouthwash can get some of those particles and bacteria they missed. Mouthwash is a great addition to any oral care regimen and will give you great breath as well!

(6.) Stop smoking

In addition to being bad for your lungs and overall health, smoking also takes a toll on your teeth and oral health. One of the reasons smoking is bad for your gums is that it decreases circulation all over your body, including your gums. Smoking is also one of the number one contributors for gum disease. For your oral health as well as for your entire body, stop smoking today. There are numerous state sponsored plans and programs to help you quit.

(7.) Chew sugar free gum

After meals, sugar free gum can increase the amount of saliva in your mouth, helping to clear away food particles left behind after a meal. Be sure your gum is sugar free so you are not making the problem worse!

These are 7 preventative measures you can take against gum disease. Gum health is an overlooked but essential component to overall body health. Your gums matter! Be sure to take care of them because gingivitis and gum disease are not fun.