Preventing gum disease

There are, as most of you will be probably be aware, some simple common sense steps that can be taken to prevent gum disease from occurring. Good oral hygiene from the start will help no end, although there can be complications leading to gum disease which are beyond the patient’s control. Let’s have a look at some of the measures you can take to prevent gum disease.

Have a routine

This may seem obvious but it’s surprising just how many people don’t keep to a good oral hygiene-promoting routine. Here’s what is recommended to ward off gum disease.

1) Brush your teeth twice a day. Why? Well, brushing helps remove plaque from the surface. Failure to do so can lead to plaque hardening and, as already discussed on this website, can lead to gum disease. Simple but effective.

2) Floss. Don’t forget there’s only so much plaque you can get rid of by brushing so use dental floss to get between the gaps of your teeth. Again, this has the same effect as brushing in terms of getting rid of plaque - and helping ward off gum disease.

3) Get toothpaste with fluoride in it. Fluoride can help prevent decay and, in turn, prevent the onslaught of gum disease.

4) Mouthwash. An antimicrobial mouth rinse can help compliment your brushing and flossing routine. Once again, this is another effective means of helping rid plaque from your mouth.

5) Have regular check-ups with your dentist. We can’t stress how important it is to get expert help and advice. Your dentist will be able to see the warning signs or, if things have gone too far, be able to recommend the right treatment for you.

A quick re-cap

As you might have gathered, keeping a good oral hygiene in the first instance is the best way of preventing gum disease. Of course, sometimes there are factors which might be outside of your control - for example, during pregnancy - but we can all do our bit to make that difference and hopefully avoid gum disease from occurring.