Many of the steps required for keeping your teeth healthy are also key to keeping your gums healthy. Here, our Surrey dentists offer a few tips on how to improve your gum health.
Caring for your gums goes hand in hand with caring for your teeth. Perhaps you already understand how the following habits keep your teeth healthy, but here's a little about how they also keep your gums healthy.
Daily Flossing
More than anything else, when it comes to your gum health, flossing is even more important than brushing. Daily flossing cleans out the crevices between your teeth and gums where your toothbrush just can't reach.
Plaque buildup can lead to gum disease. Flossing prevents plaque from building up in these tight areas and goes a long way to keeping your gums in tip top condition.
Gently Brushing Your Gums
Of course, keeping plaque off of your teeth will also help to keep it off of your gums. Along the gum line plaque buildup is especially abundant, so when you’re brushing your teeth be sure to gently move your toothbrush along your gums as well.
Regular Professional Cleanings & Checkups
Your dentist will be able to spot early signs of gum disease, but only if you visit the dental office regularly. It's a good idea to see your dentist for checkups and cleanings every 6 months. That way, any problems that may be developing can be treated before they become more serious.
Really, the only way to remove tartar (hardened dental plaque) is with professional cleanings at your dentist's office. Tartar will eventually build up, regardless of how vigilant you are about brushing and flossing, and it needs to be removed by a dental professional.
It's Time to Quit Smoking
Here's another for your long list of reasons to quit smoking: Smoking is strongly linked with the onset of gum disease. Smoking makes it harder to fight off a gum infection because it weakens your immune system. Not only that, once your gums have been damaged, smoking also makes it more difficult for your gums to heal.
