How to prevent gum disease

You have probably seen adverts for numerous products that claim to prevent the onset of gum disease. However while using the right toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash and so forth is important what is equally important in knowing how to prevent gum disease is the potential symptoms and stopping gum disease from developing in the first place and ensuring you get the appropriate treatment.

What is gum disease?

While the term can seem a bit vague there are specific types with symptoms to be aware of. Gum disease (also referred to as gingivitis) is in simple terms when your gums become sore, swollen or infected. The most severe form of gum disease is called periodontitis and this is particularly serious as this can result in severe damage to the tissue that keeps your teeth in your mouth!

How do I spot gum disease?

Look out for the following symptoms-

• Bleeding while brushing your teeth
• Soreness and inflammation around the gums
• Bad breath (or to give it the formal name halitosis)
• Pain in your jaw (Potential
• Teeth become loose

Ideally you want to see a consultant before you feel pain in your jaw or loose teeth as these are potential signs of periodontitis developing. Ideally you want to take action before you see the scarier symptoms which is why regular dental appointments are so important!

How can you treat gum disease?

Treatment of gum disease depends on the level of seriousness. In the milder cases it is simply a case of improving your dental hygiene routine. This may include-

• Increasing the amount of times you brush your teeth in the day
• More frequent use of antiseptic mouthwash to remove bacteria
• If you don’t floss start flossing or using dental sticks
• Cutting down on sweets and carbonated drinks
• If your children show signs of gum problems dilute any juices with water and encourage them to drink through straws.

For some people a dentist may have to do a deep clean to remove hardened plaque (also known as tartar). The most severe cases may require specialist non-surgical treatment or even some specialist surgical treatment. For example very rare cases have resulted in gangrene in the mouth, requiring tissue to be removed.

While this can seem very scary it does not have to be the case if you act now. If you are worried about potentially having gum disease it is important to book an appointment with a dental professional as soon as possible. In short making sure you maintain a good dental hygiene routine and early invention by a dental professional are the best ways of preventing gum disease and maintaining a healthy smile!