Your Olney Dentist Explains How to Avoid Gum Disease

Gum disease is an incredibly common problem. If you’ve ever flossed your teeth and noticed that your gums were bleeding, it’s a sign that you have gum disease on your hands. While not a huge problem in the beginning, gum disease can progress and cause serious and systemic health issues so it is important to do what you can in order to prevent it. In today’s blog, learn how!

Prevention is the best cure for gum disease.

What is gum disease?

Also known as periodontal disease, gum disease begins as plaque that builds up over time and causes bacterial growth in your mouth that throws off the natural balance of your oral health. While this starts off as a minor problem, when left unchecked, gum disease can lead to adverse pregnancy effects, diabetes, heart disease, and pneumonia. Your best bet is to take steps to avoid developing gum disease in the first place.

What are the symptoms of gum disease?

If you have gum disease, you’ll likely notice it fairly quickly. The most common signs include:

Bleeding when you brush or floss your teeth
Gums that feel swollen or tender
Bad breath that won’t go away
Pocketing between teeth and gums
Loss of teeth (please don’t let your gum disease get so bad that it comes to this! Call your Olney dentist as soon as you suspect there is a problem)

What should I do in order to avoid gum disease?

Preventing gum disease mostly comes down to developing good and consistent oral health habits.

Brush regularly

You should brush your teeth twice per day, morning and evening. It is a good idea to get into the habit of brushing soon after you eat so that bacteria won’t build up and create plaque. While some people prefer to brush after every single meal, it is important to do so gently if you brush that often or else you can cause damage to your tooth enamel.

Floss daily

We know that you’ve been told how important flossing is and we know that it’s a hard habit to get into but, for the sake of your gums, try to start flossing consistently! Flossing every day will help to prevent gum disease from forming and your longterm health will thank you.