Flashing an appealing smile means showing off healthy gums as well as your pearly whites. Both are required make a confident smile. But with gum disease being a common condition today, what can you do to avoid it?
With easy access to safe and effective oral hygiene tools like toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental flosses of all types, and oral rinses to remove plaque-causing bacteria in your mouth, you have everything you need to keep your gums in pristine condition. Especially if you combine this with regular professional dental cleanings. These are all winning strategies for a healthy smile.
Gum disease in the early stages is called gingivitis which results when built-up plaque irritates your gum tissue. This irritation results in gum inflammation, swelling, redness, bleeding, and tenderness. In this stage of the disease, you can treat it easily and reverse it.
Typically this means increasing your daily oral care. Brush your teeth at least twice a day, floss once a day with a flossing method of your choice, and wash away bacteria using an antimicrobial rinse. Eat foods that provide you with vitamin C to fight inflammation, and other gum-healthy choices like kale, spinach for calcium and phosphorous, fibrous apples and carrots, and casein-rich cheese and yogurt.
For advanced gum disease or periodontitis, your gums will recede from your teeth and create pockets for plaque to hide, teeth will loosen and fall out, and bone material will be lost. Treatment at this stage may involve additional dental cleanings, deep cleanings called scaling and root planing, antibiotics to stop the infection or gum surgery.
Our dentists, Dr. Sean and Dr. Sepi in Vacaville, California, are ready to assist you with keeping your gums in pristine condition. We invite you to schedule a periodontal treatment with our Vacaville Dental Studio at 707-448-5339.
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