How to look after your oral health and maintain healthy teeth and gums

Do you have healthy teeth? How about healthy gums? Do you even know the signs of unhealthy versus healthy gums?

It might sound like a daft question but many people suffer from symptoms of gum disease at some time in their life and don’t even realise.

The start of a brand new year is as good a time as any to give some thought to our daily habits and routines, and to make sure that we’re doing everything we can to keep ourselves ship shape.

So we thought we’d take a minute to consider the best, most simple ways to maintain healthy teeth and gums for life.

Ways to maintain healthy teeth and gums

When it comes to healthy gums and healthy teeth a regular, thorough cleaning routine is the key.

Regular brushing – for two minutes, at least twice a day – is THE number one thing you can do to maintain healthy teeth and healthy gums.

Never go to bed with food in on your teeth.

Make sure your mouth is clean morning and night, using dental floss to ensure a thorough job.

Smoking is one of the leading causes of gum disease, so if you can quit that is another important factor that will most certainly contribute towards healthy gums.

Avoiding foods high in sugar and/or brushing your teeth immediately after eating them will do your mouth a lot of good.

Of course, regular 6 monthly visits to the dentist, maintained throughout your lifetime, are also a hugely important part of preventative dentistry.

Your check ups will help us to spot any signs of unhealthy teeth and unhealthy gums, giving you a course of action to rectify any problems.

Healthy Gums vs Unhealthy Gums

Recognising if and when you already have a problem is just as important as knowing how to prevent it.

If you have less than healthy gums at the moment you may be suffering from gingivitis – the early stages of gum disease.

Do you have any of these symptoms:

• Red or swollen gums?
• Bleeding gums when brushing your teeth?
• Persistent bad breath?
• A bad taste in your mouth?

If you do, or if you’ve noticed any other signs or symptoms that indicate that all is not well in your mouth then come in and talk to us to find out how to treat gingivitis.

If symptoms are very mild and you’re wondering how to treat milk gingivitis at home, you can try the suggestions above.

If things don’t go back to normal on their own though, we strongly recommend making a dental appointment.

We’re here to help, after all.