1. Upgrade Your Diet Healthwise
What you eat affects your oral health in a big way. A steady diet of high-sugar, low-nutrient foods packed with artificial ingredients will take their toll on your teeth and gums over the years.
Contrariwise, consuming fresh fruits and vegetables that are high in vitamins and minerals will provide the raw materials to rebuild your oral health. And some foods, like apples and carrot sticks, will scrape plaque and bacteria off of teeth. Drinking plenty of water will help sweep away food particles that bacteria could otherwise have festered on.
2. Avoid Bad Habits That Hurt Your Gums
Smoking is one of the leading risk factors for developing gum disease. Tobacco smoke inhibits your immune system, yellows teeth, and weakens periodontal tissue. Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, drinking too much coffee or tea, or consuming large amounts of sugary soda are also recipes for an oral health disaster!
3. Follow A Strict Oral Health Regimen At Home
The number one cause of poor gum health is a lack of consistent brushing, flossing, and use of an antiseptic mouth rinse at home. Be sure to brush gently over your gum line with a soft-bristled toothbrush instead of only on the teeth! Plus, use a dental pick to scrape away plaque that is collecting at the gum line – before it can develop into a bacterial film that works its way below the gums (and causes periodontal disease.)
4. Get Regular Periodontal Checkups
Most people understand the importance of seeing a dentist for a dental checkup and tooth cleaning once or twice a year. And they realize the urgency of seeing a dental professional once an oral health problem arises.
But it is also advisable to see your local periodontist for an annual “gum checkup.” Of course, he will examine more than just the gums, but the point is a periodontist has expert knowledge of gum health beyond that of a general dentist.
5. Correct Gum Disease Quickly Should It Appear
If gum disease is caught in its early stages, it is often easily reversible. But if you wait too long, treatment will be more intense.
Laser periodontal treatment is the most advanced and least invasive treatment option available today. It has many advantages over other methods, such as being faster, virtually painless, allowing much quicker recovery, and lowering the risk of a re-infection.
If you have or think you might have gum disease, talk to your periodontist today to schedule a diagnostic appointment. Also, ask him about the benefits of laser periodontal treatment and whether it’s right for you. In Central Florida, contact Ormond Beach Periodontics today to get started on taking better care of your gums!