Your gums are just as important! Make sure they are healthy.

Keeping Your Gums

Healthy

 

 

Healthy gums are part of a healthy smile, and

you can take these steps to keep your gums healthy: 

·         brushing,

·         cleaning between your teeth with floss or another

interdental cleaner;

·         visiting your dentist regularly.

·         these are all important in preventing gum disease.

WHAT IS GUM DISEASE?

Gum disease affects the tissues that support your teeth,

causing them to pull away from the tooth. It can be

limited to just the soft tissue—the gums—or it can

progress to the bone that supports your teeth. In severe

cases, you can lose teeth because of gum disease.

Gum disease is caused by plaque. Plaque is a sticky

film of bacteria that forms on everyone’s teeth all the

time. This bacteria can damage your teeth and gums,

which is why it is important to brush and clean between

your teeth every day. Plaque can harden along the gum

line, forming a substance called calculus. Calculus can

only be removed with a professional cleaning by a dentist

or dental hygienist. During the cleaning, the dentist or

dental hygienist will use a special tool to scrape the

hardened calculus and plaque from along and beneath

your gum line.

Symptoms of gum disease include:

·         gums that are red, swollen, and bleed easily

(like when you brush or clean between your teeth);

·         gums that seem to have pulled away from the teeth;

·         constant bad breath;

·         pus between your teeth and gums;

·         teeth that seem to be loose or moving away from one another;

·         a change in the way your teeth fit together when you bite;

·         a change in the way your partial dentures fit.

Gum disease can range from mild to severe. Mild gum

disease is called gingivitis. The main signs of gingivitis

are red, swollen gums that may or may not be tender.

During this stage, your gums may bleed after you

brush or clean between your teeth. When the disease

progresses to the supporting bone, pockets can form

where more bacteria can collect. Any calculus that builds

up then traps plaque in these pockets. This plaque

cannot be removed by personal hygiene (brushing and

flossing).

More advanced forms of gum disease require professional

cleanings that go deeper below the gum line.

Sometimes the dentist will refer you to a specialist, called

a periodontist, for these cleanings.

HOW CAN I KEEP MY GUMS HEALTHY?

To prevent gum disease:

·         brush your teeth twice a day;

·         clean between your teeth with floss or another

interdental cleaner once every day;

·         see your dentist for an examination and a professional

cleaning regularly;

·         show your dentist or dental hygienist how you brush

and clean between your teeth and ask if you can make

any improvements; if you smoke or chew tobacco, stop.

Tobacco use increases the risk of gum disease.

Health conditions like AIDS or cancer, which reduce

your body’s ability to fight infection, can increase your

risk of developing gum disease. Some researchers also

have noticed that people who have diabetes often have

gum disease as well. Some medications, like antiseizure

or blood pressure drugs, can affect your gums, too. The

gums also are very sensitive to hormonal changes, such

as those that occur during pregnancy. Thus, it is

important for pregnant women to see their dentist.

Keeping your mouth healthy is possible with daily

care and regular visits to your dentist. Tell your dentist

about your general health, personal habits—like tobacco

use—that can affect your health, and medication use, in

addition to your oral health and hygiene habits. Give him

or her the big picture when developing a treatment plan

for you to help keep your gums healthy.

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