What Can I Do To Improve My Gum Health?

Nearly 50 percent of adults in the United States have periodontal disease, according to the American Academy of Periodontology, and many more have signs of beginning gum disease. Unfortunately, advanced gum disease can cause severe gum recession, gum infections, and bone and tooth loss if not treated. Thankfully, our periodontist in Vero Beach, FL has some steps you can take to help limit your risk of developing gum disease and steps you can take to limit the damage caused by current, severe periodontal disease.

1. Choose the Right Dental Hygiene Tools

Whether you have healthy gums or gum disease, good gum health starts with the right oral hygiene tools. This means always choosing toothpaste, toothbrushes, floss, and mouthwash with the American Dental Association seal of approval. This approval means that the product is safe and effective to use. For your toothbrush, you can choose either a manual or electric toothbrush, depending on your personal preferences. If you decide a manual toothbrush is the correct choice, make sure to get one with varying bristle heights and gum stimulators. If you choose an electric toothbrush, it’s best to choose one with rotating and vibrating heads. Our periodontist in Vero Beach recommends getting an electric toothbrush that resembles the ones used at our dental office for professional periodontal teeth cleanings.

When it comes to choosing the right floss, we recommend waxed floss, floss picks, or water flossers. When it comes to choosing a mouthwash, you can choose one that contains fluoride, one that is antibacterial, or a mouthwash that contains both. If you are having trouble choosing the right oral hygiene tools, our periodontist can recommend the best products for your brushing habits and lifestyle.

2. Brush, Floss and Rinse Daily

Improving your gum health means removing all the plaque and food particles from your teeth daily before they develop into tartar and cause gum disease and cavities. This is important for individuals who wish to maintain the health of their gums, as well as individuals with gum disease who need to improve the health of their gums. Brushing, flossing, and rinsing with mouthwash daily means brushing at least twice a day; once in the morning and at night for three minutes, flossing once a day, usually at night, and rinsing your mouth with mouthwash at least once a day.

3. Have a Dentist in Vero Beach Regularly Examine Your Mouth and Clean Your Teeth

Professional examinations and teeth cleanings with dentists in Vero Beach are essential for maintaining and improving the health of your teeth and gums. Professional dental examinations can help find cavities and the early signs of gum disease before they lead to gum recession and bone and tooth loss. For individuals without gum disease, that means visiting a dentist once every six months. For individuals with gum disease, it means visiting our periodontist once every three months.

4. Periodontal Maintenance Is Essential

If you know you have gum disease or have had advanced periodontal disease diagnosed in the past, periodontal maintenance is essential. Periodontal maintenance means visiting our periodontist in Vero Beach at least once every three months for deep cleaning and to remove any bacteria that have recolonized in the pockets between your teeth and gums. This is the only way to keep periodontal disease under control so that you do not experience tooth loss and increase bone loss along with further gum recession.

5. Get Missing Teeth Replaced with Dental Implants in Vero Beach

Once your periodontal disease is under control, you can get dental implants in Vero Beach to replace missing teeth. Getting your missing teeth replaced helps stimulate your jaw in the areas where you had missing teeth, which helps reduce further jaw bone loss. If your jaw bone isn’t thick enough or if you don’t have enough gum tissue, our periodontist can use gum and bone grafts to increase your bone density and the amount of gum tissue in order to ensure a successful implant.

To schedule an appointment with our periodontist in Vero Beach, give us a call at 772-569-9700.