3 Tips for Preventing Gum Disease

Many patients visit our office looking for solutions to treat gum disease. Gum disease affects an estimated 3 out of every 4 Americans and is the number one cause of tooth loss in adults. Dr. Pamela Cain of Today’s Dentistry places great emphasis on maintaining healthy gums for good dental health. As your trusted general dentist in Knoxville, TN, we wanted to provide three basic tips for preventing gum disease progression. Here are our tips:

Preventative Dental Care

Scheduling regular preventative dental care appointments is the best thing you can do in terms of preventing gum disease. During your preventative care appointments, an experienced dental hygienist will remove any plaque or tartar that has begun to build up around your gum line. Plaque and tartar are hardened bacteria residues that can eventually begin to eat away at the soft tissues of your smile, which causes gum disease. The bacteria infect your healthy tissues and can even infect the bones that hold your teeth in place. To help avoid this, we recommend scheduling a preventative dental care appointment once every six months. That way, any buildup is removed before it has the chance to do significant damage to your smile.

Brushing and Flossing

It is very important to brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day. During times of high stress, it can be easy to neglect your dental health on a daily basis. However, maintaining a strict oral hygiene routine is necessary for preventing gum disease. By brushing and flossing after major meals, you are ensuring that any sugary residue is not left on your teeth surfaces long enough to cause harm. Because your mouth is an entryway to both your digestive and respiratory systems, it’s important to your overall health as well that you keep your dental structures as clean as possible. Poor oral hygiene has been linked to major health complications. You don’t want any harmful bacteria lingering around your mouth, causing bad breath, irritating your gums, and making you sick.

Healthy Diet, Healthy Smile

Eating a healthy diet can help prevent gum disease. By avoiding excessively sugary or starchy foods, you prevent plaque and tartar buildup that causes gum disease in the first place. Additionally, avoiding drinking soda too often can go a long way in maintaining the health of your smile. Sodas and other sugary snacks contain high amounts of acids which also irritate your gums and stick to your teeth surfaces. Try reaching for smile-friendly snacks that are high in calcium or vitamin C. Snacks like cheese or yogurt are high in calcium, which helps maintain your teeth’s strength. High vitamin C snacks like apple slices, strawberries, or kiwis, are great for your smile and for your overall health. This is because vitamin C is essential for helping your body fight off infections like gum disease.

Schedule an Appointment

Gum disease is a “silent disease”, meaning many patients with gum disease don’t experience pain or obvious symptoms until advanced stages of the condition. We recommend scheduling an appointment if you suspect you are at high risk for gum disease. Dr. Cain offers personalized care that is tailored to your unique needs, taking a comprehensive approach for results that will be lasting, comfortable and natural-looking. We look forward to seeing you soon.