4 Tips To Keep Gum Disease Away

Gum disease is a serious oral health disease that most people don’t know they have. About half of all adults experience some form of gum disease during their lifetime. And, of course, the older we get, the more susceptible we are to all kinds of infections, including gum disease. Fortunately, gum disease is entirely preventable without having to take extraordinary measures.

What Is Gum Disease?

Gum disease is an infection of the soft tissues that hold teeth in place. Healthy gums adhere tightly to teeth, keeping harmful bacteria from getting to the sensitive enamel of the tooth roots. But when plaque and tartar build up around the gumline, that tissue gets irritated and inflamed, eventually loosening its grip on teeth. When that happens, bacteria are free to get underneath and cause havoc. 

Why Is Gum Disease So Hard to Spot?

The early symptoms of gum disease are very subtle and usually painless. Unless a person really knows what to look for, they’re easy to miss. Not knowing what to look for is another reason gum disease can develop undetected. If a person is waiting for a clear visual sign that their gums are infected, they may end up not catching gum disease early enough to reverse it, and that’s a real health threat.

Tips for Preventing Gum Disease

• Brush Your Teeth After Every Meal

This may sound extreme, but brushing after every meal is the best thing you can do for your oral health. Every time you eat, food particles get lodged between your teeth and, often, under your gums. Not to mention, the sugars (which include carbohydrates) in food attract plaque-causing, acid-producing bacteria. Brushing your teeth after you eat keeps that to a minimum.

• Floss! Floss! Floss!

Flossing at night is an excellent habit to get into. Every time you floss, you’re cleaning up to 40% more of the total surface area of your teeth than with brushing alone. That’s nearly half! If you’re really serious about oral hygiene and keeping gum disease away, floss after every meal for optimal results.

• Limit Starchy, Sugary Food (This Goes for Drinks Too)

This is good advice for a healthy diet and for healthy teeth and gums. The bacteria in your mouth love to feed on the starch and sugar food leaves on tooth enamel. When they do, they produce plaque that sticks to tooth enamel, providing a perfect breeding ground. More bacteria means more plaque. If the plaque doesn’t get cleaned away regularly, it hardens and can no longer be removed with brushing and flossing alone. Over time, gum tissue will become irritated, inflamed, red, and may start to bleed. Those are the signs you have gum disease.

• Visit Vargas Dental Associates Every 6 Months!

When you see us for regular professional cleanings and examinations, your hygienist will remove any lingering plaque and tartar from teeth, check your gums for deep pockets, and ensure you don’t have any signs of gum disease. Plus, Dr. Vargas will examine your mouth to make sure your teeth and gums are looking and functioning as they should. If we find any sign of gum disease, we can recommend treatment right away. Sometimes, all it takes is being more diligent with your oral hygiene routine at home. In some cases, though, Dr. Vargas needs to perform a deep cleaning to start things off. The chances of you needing that go way down if you’re brushing and flossing every day and getting routine checkups as recommended.

Gum disease is no laughing matter, but you can keep it away and keep your smile healthy with good oral hygiene at home and routine cleanings at Vargas Dental Associates, located in Bowie, MD. Call us to schedule your next cleaning and examination, or if you have any concerns about your oral health. We’re happy to help.