10 Jan Five Tips For Better Gum Health

Gum disease smells, tastes funny and eats away the bone around your teeth and most of the population has it. 

According to the world health organization ‘Severe periodontal (gum) disease, which may result in tooth loss, is found in 15–20% of middle-aged (35-44 years) adults’.

Ultimately none of us want it and it is so simple to prevent so please follow our tips below and you’ll start to look after your gums that much better.

Brush your gums!!!

‘Brush your teeth Kevin!’….. Yup that’s what we heard when we were growing up and that’s what we tell our own children (if you’re as old as I am).  Sadly it’s just plain wrong.

Plaque builds up around your gums and in between your teeth.  By all means brush the biting surface of the teeth (most of you do this anyway) but you need to angle the brush into the gums like this:

Brush Your Gums- With an ORAL B Electric Toothbrush

Oral B electric tooth brushes are scientifically proven to remove the most plaque from your gums.  I’m not a huge fan of Sonic tooth brushes and manual ones simply do not cut the mustard!

I recommend the ORAL B PRO 2000 or 4000.

Brush Your Gums (Are You Noticing a Theme?) – In Between Your Teeth

Plaque builds up in between your teeth……well why wouldn’t it?  There’s a natural shelter in between your teeth that plaque finds irresistible and you need to clean it.  Yes I know that you’ve never done it before but maybe that’s why you’re reading this 😉

Floss?  For those really tight gaps, of which I have two, yes.  On the whole I recommend Tepe brushes http://www.tepe.com/uk/products/interdental-brushes/.  These brushes are the single best way to rid you of most of your gum disease.

Ultimately you need to gently feed them in between your teeth and move it back and forth.  Start with a small brush, generally a red one will do, but as the gums heal you will need to use a larger brush.

This video is great:

Brush Your Gums- Even Though They bleed and Are Sore.

Imagine you had a skin infection; its red, it’s a bit crusty but when your GP tells you to keep it clean you think ‘well that’s a good idea!’  So off you go, give it a clean and hey, it’s sore.  No surprise there.

So……why do people expect their infected gums to feel fine when they clean them?  It will be sore and it will bleed.  The key message is ‘Don’t panic and carry on cleaning’.

1-2 weeks after following our tips the bleeding stops

1-2 months later your mouth will feel so much fresher and cleaner.

Brush Your Gums – and See a Dental Professional.

Yes, I knew you saw it coming but, sadly, you do need us.

By following the advice above you will have a significant impact on the health of your gums BUT you can only remove the soft build up, the plaque.  You cannot remove the hard build up which clogs the gaps between your teeth and can build up below the gum line.  This is where we come in.

If you have any queries about anything you’ve read in my blog please email me at stuart@spiresdental.co.uk or call us on 01543 411088 to book your next appointment.