It’s natural for people to focus on keeping their teeth healthy, but the gums are just as important to overall dental health and can be the first place where serious issues appear. Diseased gums can be a health risk in other areas and can be extremely painful. With that in mind, we’ve come up with some of the best ways to keep your gums healthy for life.
Floss Every Day
You’ve likely heard the advice over and over to floss your teeth every single day. When it comes to gum health, this piece of advice bears repeating. Flossing does several things to help keep your teeth and gums in good shape. It removes food debris, removes plaque and wards off gum disease.
Brush Right
Not only is it important to brush your teeth at least a couple of times each day (preferably after meals and snacks, though), it is important to brush your teeth the right way. If you aren’t spending at least two minutes, then you probably aren’t getting your teeth completely clean.
Hold your brush at a 45-degree angle and brush gently making sure you brush over the front, back, top and bottom of teeth. Brush right up to the gum line.
Eat a Balanced Diet
Sugary drinks and foods can cause tooth decay. Eating a balanced, healthy diet is good for your overall dental health. Another thing you can do that creates balance in your mouth by keeping saliva going is to drink plenty of water. A mouth with the right level of saliva will prevent tooth decay. One of the best ways to keep your gums healthy is to avoid serious tooth decay.
Visit Your Dentist Twice a Year
Regular dental checkups are an important part of staying on top of your gum health. If any issues start to appear, your dentist will notice them immediately and can start treatment to keep the problem from getting worse and possibly even reverse it. Your dentist can also offer additional advice for caring for your gums.
Need additional ideas for keeping your gums healthy for the long term? Dentistry on 7’s staff is available to answer any questions you might have and keep your gums healthy and pink!
