When talking about oral hygiene, it's easy to focus entirely on the teeth - but you can't neglect your gums, either! Because the skin on your gums is quite thin, it's easily damaged, and can become a route to allow infections to spread from your mouth to other parts of your body. As we age, our gums naturally recede exposing your teeth and oral health to additional oral health concerns.
Given that roughly 40% of Americans suffer from gum disease, this is a major problem.
How Age Impacts your Gums
1) Gums recede as we age exposing the roots of your tooth making the tooth more sensitive and prone to decay.
2) Aging also leads to reduced salvia production. Salvia is critical to maintain the Ph balance of your mouth, washing away bacteria and aiding in digestion.
3) Medication may have impacts on your mouth and gums due to the side effects of dry mouth.
4) Aging immune issues and systemic health conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease both conditions are linked to gum disease
5) Tooth ware of grinding and clenching will cause structural damage over time contributing to gum disease.
Protecting your gums is important to your overall health, so keep these tips in mind to help maintain them.
Five Ways To Keep Your Gums Healthy
1 - Take it easy when you floss
People can get in a hurry when they floss, and floss too hard as a result. This makes it easy to accidentally cut your gums as you go. Take it slowly, and be gentle, to avoid any unnecessary damage.
Also, don't floss too often. Once a day is all you need. Doing it too often can also irritate your gums.
2 - Use an electric toothbrush
Electric toothbrushes are designed to be gentle, while still providing a superior cleaning when compared to regular brushes. You'll be able to clean your teeth well, but without any risk of the toothbrush damaging your gums.
3 - Never use tobacco products
Any tobacco product will do damage to the gums over time, including thinning them, or causing them to recede. Worse, nicotine inhibits your body's healing and immune systems, so any gum damage done will take longer to heal - and give more opportunities for infections to spread.
Yes, this includes vaping. Nicotine in any form is bad for your gums, full stop.
4 - Use mouthwash regularly
Mouthwash is a critical part of oral hygiene that many people overlook. Yes, it burns - but that burn comes from the mouthwash killing all the harmful bacteria in your mouth, which is something brushing and flossing can't do. This will go a long way towards protecting your gums from infection, even if they have sores or cuts.
5 - Visit your dentist regularly
There's no good way for a person to fully examine the state of their own gums. You need a dentist with the rights tools and training to make sure your gums are healthy and thriving. You should have a check-up at least once a year, and twice a year is better.
If it's been more than a year since your last dental check-up, don't keep waiting - contact Plainsboro Dental Care 609-799-4422 for an appointment! New patients are always welcome.