How do you think you are getting on in the gum department?
Severe gum disease or periodontitis, is one of the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. It is the sixth most prevalent disease in the world. The vital thing about gum disease is that it is completely preventable! Often in the early stages there are no symptoms that you can notice. You might notice bleeding gums and a bad taste in your mouth or later on movement of teeth, difficulty eating hard foods and tooth loss. If you are worried about your gum health it is really important to see a dentist as soon as possible.
Have a look at my quick guide to see if you are doing all you can to care for your gum health.
1. Brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes
Lots of people think that brushing is just to stop cavities, but the harmful bacteria in your mouth also cause gum disease. The gentle and methodical removal of the film of bacteria called plaque stops the bacteria irritating your gums which causes the inflammation, swelling and bleeding that accompanies gum disease. Think of it as a massage for your gums to toughen them up.
2. Clean between your teeth everyday before toothbrushing
Many of the tooth surfaces can't be accessed by a toothbrush. Therefore it is really important to remove the plaque that builds up in between the teeth. You can use floss and tape if you find you are able to use it. To make it effective you have to hug the surfaces of the teeth and gently guide the floss or tape up and down. Another option is the interproximal brush, which you pass in between each space ten times to clear out the debris.
3. Eat a healthy diet
It is important to eat a healthy and balanced diet to keep your gums healthy. This is because the cells that protect your gums and the tissues that support your teeth can begin to weaken if your diet is poor. It is also true that they do not function as well where the blood sugar levels are very high, so diabetic patients can really suffer with gum disease. The best advice is to eat a varied diet, with fruit and vegetables and less sugar.
4. Don't smoke or use nicotine products
Lots of people say to me that they didn't get bleeding gums or other signs of gum disease until after they quit smoking. This is because smoking masks all of the signs of gum disease, but it continues in the background unchecked. Smoking and nicotine worsen the progression of gum disease and make the treatments we have less likely to be effective. This is because the chemicals in smoke weaken the cells that protect your gums and also slow down the rate of healing. If you are a smoker it is very likely that you will have problems with gum disease in your lifetime. Smoking even 1-4 cigarettes per day increases the risk of gum disease by 50%.
5. Reduce any unnecessary life stresses
The hormones that are released due to stress are increasingly being linked to all sorts of chronic diseases. There are a few reasons for it being a cause of gum disease. One is that the hormones involved in stress suppress the cells that protect you against infections and protect your gums. Another is that stressed out people tend not to look after themselves properly. We know that stress causes people not to eat properly and to neglect good tooth care practices. Stressed smokers tend to smoke more too. For all these reasons, it is important to find ways to manage stress or reduce it for general health as well as gum health.
6. Attend the dentist for regular check-ups
At a dental check-up your dentist will look for signs of gum disease. You might have heard your dentist calling out numbers during a check up. One of these lots of numbers is a screening tool which uses a probe to carefully test between the gum and tooth for signs of pocketing and bleeding. Pocketing occurs when gums become very swollen or when the bone around the tooth starts to move away from the surface as in periodontitis. Attending regularly allows your dentist to check that your gum health is good, or to advise your if things are slipping.
7. Hygienist visits regularly as suggested by the dentist.
The hygienist is a highly specialised member of the dental team that looks after gum health. They do not only clean your teeth, they remove calculus build up (a hard form of plaque) and advise on how to brush and clean your teeth more effectively. They help you to maintain the gum health by giving you the tools and education to look after your gums more effectively at home. You can see the hygienist independently of the dentist if you wish, but often it is better to work with the hygienist and dentist together to get the most out of your dental team.