Oral health is more than the shape or color of your teeth. A bright smile is essential, no doubt, but oral health does not refer to a dazzling smile either. While teeth get a lot of attention, people frequently forget about their gums. Yes, your gum is also a part of your mouth and therefore, a significant part of your oral health. Therefore, it is a mistake to forget about your gum when you are trying to improve your oral health. People often consider the cavity as the utmost sign of an unhealthy mouth. However, even if you have perfect teeth, you may suffer from bad oral health, without even knowing about it. People often suffer from gum disease without even realizing it. Usually, gum diseases don’t cause pain. For this reason, people don’t pay attention to their gums or attempt to know whether their gum is affected by some disease or not.
Some Gum Diseases
So, if you don’t have any idea about gum diseases, you should not fret. There are countless people who don’t know about gum infections or diseases. Therefore, not knowing is a common issue.
Gum gets affected when plaque begins to build under the gum. The buildup could be slow. For this reason, people usually fail to realize that they have some kind of underlying oral health issue. Plaque comes loaded with bacteria. When left attended, plaque can cause serious pain around the gum and affect the bone structure. Eventually, it leads to tooth decay. Plaque is a common cause of gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. If you have gingivitis, you may suffer from –
- Gum inflammation
- Tender gum area
- Red and swollen gum
- Gum bleeding
Gingivitis does not affect the gum tissue or the bone. Therefore, even if you are suffering from gingivitis, you can reverse the effect of the disease with proper dental treatment.
Periodontitis is a common disease. It affects the bone which supports teeth. Therefore, if you don’t take action, it can damage your bones, tissues, and gum. Periodontitis is a serious stage of gum disease. Therefore, if you are suffering from this disease, and you notice your bone and gum getting affected, you should seek medical assistance without any delay. This disease can affect your ability to bite. Your teeth may have to be removed to cure this disease. You must keep an eye on some common symptoms of periodontitis.
- You may suffer from continuous bad breath
- You may have a loose tooth
- Your gum may begin to bleed
- Your gum may turn swollen and red
If you have all these symptoms, you must seek medical support without delay. It is because, if you leave your teeth untended, you may get more affected by the gum disease.
Keeping Your Gum Healthy
An essential fact to remember is – gum disease can be cured. You will be able to reduce your gum issues if you maintain a healthy lifestyle and take care of your gum without fail. You can speak to your dentist if you are looking for ways to take care of your gum. However, if you are looking for some home remedies to stay away from gum disease, the given below is a list of steps that will keep your gum healthy.
Flossing
While brushing gets a lot of attention and appreciation, flossing takes a backseat. Many are not aware of the benefits of flossing. If you are looking for a way to keep your gum health, you need to resort to regular flossing. It is because flossing not only gets rid of food particles but also improves oral health. For this reason, daily flossing is required. You should remember to give your teeth the required health boost every day.
Daily Brushing
Of course, you need daily brushing. In fact, to keep your teeth and gum health, you need to brush your teeth twice daily. When you brush your teeth, use the brush to clean your gum line as well. It will be better to use a toothpaste recommended by your dentist. However, in any type of doubt be sure to buy a fluoride toothpaste that will keep your teeth clean and healthy while taking care of your gum.
Replace Your Toothbrush
It is essential to replace your toothbrush frequently. If you keep using the same toothbrush every day, you will end up injuring yourself someday. For this reason, you must keep changing your toothbrush regularly to give your teeth the required care. Replacing toothbrushes also helps in keeping gum healthy. Therefore, you should replace your toothbrush when you see the bristles getting out of shape.
Use Mouthwash
Mouthwashes are amazing to keep your breath fresh. However, what most don’t know is – mouthwashes also help in keeping gum and teeth healthier. If you want to improve your oral health, you should find a good quality antiseptic mouthwash to rinse your mouth.
Visit Your Dentist
A dentist will diagnose your oral problem. However, you should not visit a dentist only when you are suffering from some disease. The best thing to do is to visit your dentists at least twice a year to prevent future oral problems. If you can maintain this, you will be able to prevent gum or teeth disease.
Reduce Your Snacking Habit
If you have a habit of eating sugary treats, you should go through a lifestyle change immediately. Don’t indulge in unhealthy snacking, if you want to protect your oral health. Sugary snacks affect both teeth and gum. You should stay away from such snacks to improve your gum health. Sugary snacks can lead to cavities. If you don’t want to suffer from it, you should make it a point to stop eating such snacks.
Balanced Diet
Healthy eating does not only help in improving your overall health, it also improves your gum and teeth. For this reason, you should create a balanced diet chart that includes food beneficial for teeth and gum.
Give Up Smoking
Smoking does not only affect your lungs, it also affects your oral health. Therefore, if you have a habit of smoking, you should stop without any delay. It will improve your oral health and keep your gum away from any disease.