Healthy Gums For Valentines Day!

Have you found that your teeth and gums have become more sensitive recently? Do your gums and teeth bleed after you brush and floss?

If so read on. For when it comes to periodontal disease or commonly know as gum disease, knowing the risk factors can mean the difference between heading off a problem early or suffering more severe damage later.

Understanding Gum Disease

Gum disease is commonly caused by plaque, a sticky film of bacteria that constantly forms on teeth. If the plaque is not removed with thorough daily brushing and cleaning between teeth, gums become irritated and inflamed. The irritated gum tissue can separate from the teeth and form spaces called pockets. Bacteria move into the pockets where they continue to promote irritation.

Gum disease has multiple stages. First, it starts off as gingivitis, and usually doesn’t need professional attention and can be treated by brushing at least twice a day and flossing after every meal.

Normally gum disease is more common in adults than children, except a mild form of the disease known as gingivitis. The risk for men is also slightly higher than that for women in general. Studies indicate that the prevalence of gum disease is greater in some families than others, suggesting genetics are at play.

Gingivitis, the early stage of periodontal disease, left untreated can continue until the bone, and other tooth-supporting tissues are destroyed. If your gum disease progresses to this next level, periodontitis, your dentist will recommend professional treatment options.

Be pro-active! If you suffer from advanced periodontitis, you are at risk of losing your teeth and having permanent damage.

Tips To Help Manage and Improve Gum Disease

Smoking – Smoking irritates your whole mouth; plus accelerates the build-up of tartar on your teeth. If you are a smoker, remember you are also putting the rest of your body at high risk for other diseases.

Strong Toothpaste – Strong whitening or heavier cleaning based types toothpaste have harsh chemicals that are meant to brush away tartar and plaque. If you suffer from inflamed or irritated gums, choose a gentler toothpaste so that you don’t irritate your gums further.

Hard Toothbrushes – Select a soft toothbrush and make sure that you brush gently. Brush in gentle circles to release food, plaque, and tartar from your teeth.

Grinding Your Teeth – Grinding or tight clenching of teeth puts added stress and pressure on your teeth, gums, and jaw.

Over Flossing – Flossing is essential, but you want to make sure you are not cutting into your gums. Floss slowly and gently. Focus on removing the food from between the teeth instead of going back and forth between your teeth.

We Can Help!

Our Expert Team at Coconut Grove Dentistry is here to make sure that you and your family will have healthy strong teeth and gums for life.

So remember to start strong and stay strong. If oral health challenges do occur, do not fear our team leader Dr. Stephen J. Parr has the experience and knowledge to get you smiling again fast!

Tags: Bleeding Gums Coconut Grove FL, Coconut Grove FL Dentists, Coconut Grove FL Gum Disease, Dentist Coconut Grove FL, Gingivitis Coconut Grove FL, Periodontal Dental Care Coconut Grove, Tooth Loss Coconut Grove FL

This entry was posted on Monday, February 13th, 2017 at 3:48 pm and is filed under Dental Articles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.