Keeping Your Gums Healthy To Avoid Periodontal Disease
You are due to go in soon for an appointment at your Bethpage dentist and are worried about periodontitis. You hear that it can cause things like loose teeth or an infection in your mouth. Is there anything that you can do to keep it from happening?
Simply put: Yes. Here are some ways to go about keeping your gums healthy to avoid periodontal disease.
Flossing After Brushing Helps You Keep Gum Disease Away
Brushing, especially with an electric brush, can do a lot to get rid of food particles and bacteria. But there are things that can lodge themselves in between your teeth that can stay there and decay and cause problems. That is why you need to floss daily – that will get rid of those particles that otherwise might help create gum disease and periodontitis. It’s a short routine with a lot of benefits.
When you are flossing, be careful to not be too rough when doing it. Don’t do it in a see-saw motion. That can actually damage areas and cause other problems. If it has been a while, you might see some blood when you floss. That’s fine – if you continue doing it regularly, then the bleeding will stop. Then your gums and teeth will both look and feel healthy.
Mouthwash Will Fight The Plaque Linked To Periodontitis
Besides washing out the remaining bacteria that can take residence in your mouth, the mouthwash has antiseptic properties that can protect your mouth overnight. There are mouthwashes that also include fluoride in them that are designed to give this level of support and have you waking up with a much fresher mouth than you would have if you did not use mouthwash.
There have been studies done that prove that using mouthwash is important in the fight against periodontal disease. Just get a mouthwash that is ADA approved, follow the directions daily and you should see an improvement in the overall health of your mouth and gums. 30 seconds to a minute is worth spending to keep from having dental problems down the road.
Gum Disease Can Be Caused By Smoking
The reason that this happens is that when you smoke, you weaken your immune system. Your immune system is important in keeping infections at bay. If you have a weakened immune system, that can open the door to an infection making its way into your mouth and wreaking havoc on your jaw. Once the infection has begun, it can quickly snowball and create a lot of other problems.
So that is yet another reason why you should not smoke … aside from the carcinogenic properties of it. From an aesthetic standpoint, it can yellow your teeth, and make you have to get your teeth whitened. Overall, it is better to ditch the smoking habit and keep your mouth looking healthy and clean.
Can Fluoride Toothpaste Help Prevent Periodontal Disease?
Yes. Brushing twice a day, for two minutes at a time, with fluoride toothpaste, can get rid of plaque that would otherwise build up. It can also help keep you from getting cavities. Be sure to spend 30 seconds at a time in each quadrant of your mouth. Electric toothbrushes are excellent for this, since the spinning bristles can do the work for you. This is an important part of your oral hygiene routine and should not be avoided.
Regular Dental Cleanings Will Help You Detect Any Symptoms
This is a key part in keeping periodontitis from getting a hold in your mouth. Your dentist will be able to see if there are changes going on in your mouth during your routine twice-yearly cleanings. You may think that you are doing enough, but ultimately, you might be missing key areas or rushing just a bit too much. The dentist will catch it and tell you what you need to do.
The good thing is that gingivitis, which is the milder and reversible form of gum disease, can be stopped by a return to good brushing, flossing, and mouth washing habits. If it is allowed to progress into periodontitis, then more in-depth dental work will be needed, including deep cleanings and possibly antibiotics. So please keep those twice-yearly dental appointments.
As you can see, keeping your teeth and gums free from periodontitis does not require a huge time commitment. You are basically looking at five minutes a day for proper brushing, flossing, and using mouthwash. That is not much at all when you consider the other 15 hours and 55 minutes or so that you have for the rest of the day – providing you are getting proper sleep, after all.
Contact New York’s Family Dental Professionals
Schedule an appointment with Bethpage’s top-rated dentists. Dr. Krupali Shah and her staff at Bethpage Smiles will thoroughly examine your mouth and ensure that it is in great shape. They will carefully guide you in a kind and gentle way through what you need to do if anything is found. Give them a call today at 516-288-8393 for an appointment at their Bethpage location or (516) 822-6659 for one at their Hicksville location.
Bethpage Smiles Family Dental – Dr. Krupali Shah
Hicksville:
120 Bethpage Rd suite 310,
Hicksville, NY 11801
Phone: (516) 822-6659
Email: [email protected]
Bethpage:
549 Stewart ave
Bethpage, NY 11714
Phone: (516) 490-7707
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.bethpagesmiles.com/
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