Gum disease is a serious oral health condition that can impact your overall health if not treated. Here are just a few of the most effective ways to combat or prevent gum disease.
1. Proper oral hygiene
You have more control than you think when it comes to keeping gingivitis, periodontitis, and gum disease at bay. Proper oral hygiene can go a long way toward eliminating the bacteria that leads to tartar and plaque buildup responsible for gum disease.
Your daily regimen should include brushing, flossing, and rinsing with mouthwash after every meal to clear away food particulates and bacteria. You should perform this routine a minimum of twice a day without fail, and if you don’t have time or opportunity to brush after every meal, at least try to rinse your mouth with water to flush away leftover food.
2. Dietary adjustments
The foods and beverages you consume can have a marked impact on your oral health. For example, sugary items provide an ideal food source for bacteria, while acidic foods and beverages eat away at your enamel, allowing rot and infection to infiltrate.
By cutting back on such items you can reduce damage to teeth and your oral health in general. You can also add dairy to your diet to strengthen teeth, as well as drink plenty of water to aid in the natural flushing performed by saliva. Don’t forget that using tobacco products can be extremely detrimental to your oral health.
3. Regular dental cleanings
If you want to preserve the longevity of your teeth and promote proper oral health, regular dental visits for check-up, cleaning, and x-rays are a must. Your dentist can catch problems early and provide you with treatment and advice to prevent further damage, including the onset of gum disease.
4. Surgical options
In the worst-case scenario, you may need surgical intervention of some sort to combat gum disease and prevent tooth loss or other serious health complications. If you’ve tried medications, antibiotics, and everything else, your dentist may recommend a number of different surgical options.
Intensive treatments could include curettage, or scraping away infected areas; flap surgery, or lifting gums to remove tartar below the gum line and then sewing them back into place; guided tissue regeneration (often performed in concert with flap surgery); soft-tissue grafts; bone grafts; or even bone surgery.
None of these procedures are appealing, but they may become necessary when all other treatments options have been exhausted. With proper care, you can likely combat gum disease before it gets to this point.
