Our gums frame our smile and keep our teeth firmly in place. But poor oral health could lead to inflammation and disease, putting your smile’s stability at risk. In today’s blog, your Rochester, MN, family dentist talks about how to preserve the health of your gums and keep issues like periodontal disease at bay.
The Risks of Inflammation and Disease
Trouble begins when harmful oral bacteria begin to consume the particles of our foods and drinks, especially those high in sugar and starch, that have been left behind on or between our teeth. As they do, this creates plaque buildup that coats the teeth and could irritate the gums. Inflammation, also known as gingivitis, could develop, leading to sore and red gums that bleed easily. Without care to address this, the inflammation could grow more severe and cause pockets to form at the gum line as tissues pull away from the teeth. Once bacteria enter these pockets, this leads to periodontal disease. While gingivitis can be reversed, periodontal disease cannot, and instead needs to be managed to prevent the later stages linked to tooth loss.
Good Home Hygiene Habits
To help fight gingivitis and periodontal disease, you need to take good care of your smile from home. Each day, you should brush in the morning and at night for two minutes, and also floss every evening. These actions remove trapped food particles to control plaque buildup until your next cleaning, which we can remove the buildup entirely. You should also cut back on sugary and starchy foods, and drinks high in sugar, as these leave behind particles for bacteria to consume. Other issues that exacerbate your risk include smoking cigarettes and using other tobacco products.
Preventive Dentistry
Our team can also help your smile with preventive dental care. Every six months, we want to see you for a checkup and cleaning. The checkup allows us to watch for signs of trouble so we can plan and implement treatment in a timely manner. Our team will also clean the teeth, which involves removing all plaque and tartar with an ultrasonic scaling device and a manual tool and then polishing the teeth. If you already experience the early warning signs of gingivitis and periodontal disease, we could offer a deep cleaning. With this option, we remove buildup from both the teeth and the roots. This could take one visit or up to four, and helps reverse gingivitis and control the disease.
TALK TO YOUR ROCHESTER, MN DENTIST ABOUT PROTECTING YOUR GUMS
Our team wants to help you smile with confidence in 2023 and beyond. If you would like to learn more about avoiding periodontal concerns, or if you wish to book an appointment at our location, call Greenview Cosmetic And Family Dentistry in Rochester, MN at (507) 281-3659.
