5 Ways You Can Prevent Gum Disease

Good practices for preventing gum disease include regular brushing, flossing, avoiding sugary products, consuming more vitamin c, visiting your dentist, and more.

According to the American Academy of Periodontal, over 50% of Americans age 30 and older have advanced gum disease known as periodontitis. While gingivitis only affects the gums, periodontal disease can affect your gums and the bones that support your teeth.

Thankfully, preventing gum disease can be easy when you schedule regular dental checkups and practice good oral hygiene. Please feel free to contact our office today if you have any additional questions or concerns about your oral health care.

Continue reading to learn what you can do to help prevent it.

1.) Practice Good Oral Hygiene

Gum disease is caused by untreated dental plaque buildup on your teeth and gums. While you’ll still need professional teeth cleaning to get rid of tartar (hardened plaque), brushing your teeth at home still helps and is highly important.

And you may have heard this before, but flossing is also important! Make sure you floss once daily to remove plaque hidden between teeth and along the gum line.

Gum disease is caused by untreated plaque buildup, so make sure you practice good oral hygiene every day. If you forget to brush your teeth once, it’s not the end of the world. But if you routinely forget to brush, floss, or manage your oral health, you run the risk of complications like gum disease.

2.) Get More Vitamin C

Vitamin C deficiency has been found to be one of the leading causes of gum disease.

While there are options like Vitamin C tablets, there are also natural methods like eating healthier foods. You may think of fruits right away, but we do want to caution you about how fruits can be like a double-edged sword. They may be high in Vitamin C, but you have to be cautious about the sugars in them. After eating sugary foods like fruit, it is beneficial to rinse your mouth with water or brush your teeth to help flush sugar residues.

For a few great foods high in Vitamin C though, here’s a quick list:

• Kiwis
• Strawberries
• Oranges
• Guavas
• Peppers
• Broccoli
• Kale
• Snow Peas

Vitamin C supplements can help boost your resistance against gum disease too but check with your doctor before taking them. Vitamin C has some other health benefits that could help stop your gums from bleeding and swelling, which are common gum disease symptoms.

3.) Eat a Balanced Diet

While vitamin C is important, a balanced diet is equally valuable.

Not only is a balanced diet good for your smile, but it can help improve overall health. A balanced diet filled with vitamins and minerals can boost your immune system and help prevent gum disease, tooth decay, and other oral health concerns.

Before putting something in your grocery cart, be sure to check the nutritional information on the package. Many of the foods and drinks we believe to be healthy can contain high levels of sugar like fruit juices and sports drinks.

Remember our tip for consuming these if you choose to, that you should try and rinse your mouth with water to prevent the sugars from sitting on your teeth.

4.) Stay Hydrated

While it may seem weird to think about, saliva is one of our best natural defenses against dental plaque.

After you eat a meal, your body produces more saliva to wash away plaque and food particles. To maintain a healthy smile, make sure you drink plenty of water throughout the day. Also, keep in mind that certain drinks (like coffee and alcohol) can dehydrate you and stain your teeth.

A few popular alternatives to sugary drinks that can actually benefit your teeth are:

• Green teas
• Sugarless chewing gums
• Milk

Next time you want something like pop or highly concentrated juice, try to go with one of these options instead!

5.) Schedule Regular Teeth Cleanings

During teeth cleaning, a dental hygienist will be able to remove plaque from teeth. Later on, your dentist will be able to check for the signs of gum disease. You may not want to visit the dentist, but doing so can help you maintain a healthy smile.

While gingivitis is reversible, periodontitis is not. If your dentist discovers advanced gum disease, they will be able to do scaling and root planing to help prevent receding gums and other oral health issues.

Since patients with periodontitis have deep gum pockets around teeth, your dentist will most likely recommend gum disease treatment.

Want More Dental Advice?

Gibson Dental is dedicated to helping patients maintain healthy smiles. Whether it’s routine teeth cleaning or other preventative dentistry services, Dr. Gibson DDS is here to help. Feel free to schedule an appointment online with our Columbus dentist, or give us a call at (614) 878-9562.