How to Cure Gingivitis
You have a limited window of opportunity to cure gingivitis. The good news is that you can usually reverse gum disease within by practicing good oral hygiene. This means brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing once daily to remove plaque.
About age 30 and older have gum disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But that doesn’t mean you have to be one of them.
Here are our tips for treating gingivitis at home with the help of our dentists.
Brush and Floss Your Teeth
Dental plaque is an invisible film of bacteria that lives inside your mouth. When you eat sugary foods, the bacteria will eat the particles left behind and produce an acid that attacks your gums and erodes tooth enamel. The good news is that removing plaque is relatively easy. You just need to brush your teeth twice a day and floss once a day.
By practicing good oral hygiene, you’ll be able to reduce the number of bacteria inside your mouth. In turn, this will help you reverse gingivitis and maintain a healthy smile.
Use a Fluoride Mouth Rinse
Gingivitis is caused by plaque buildup inside the mouth that irritates your gums. The good news is that fluoride will help strengthen your enamel so it’s less vulnerable to acid attacks from plaque. Using a fluoride rinse will also help remove any lingering food particles on your teeth and gums.
When you eat sugary foods, the bacteria that live in your mouth consume the particles left behind. They then produce an acid that erodes your enamel and attacks your gums. By using a fluoride mouth rinse, you’ll be able to help re-mineralize your enamel and reduce your risk of cavities. Rinsing every day will also help improve your gum health when combined with brushing and flossing.
If you’re unsure what brand of fluoride rinse to use, please feel free to ask one of our dentists during your next appointment. They’d be more than happy to recommend oral hygiene products to help improve the health of your smile.
Limit Sugary Foods and Drinks
The bacteria in plaque love sugar. This is why we recommend you eat little to no sugar while you work to reverse gingivitis. The more sugar you eat, the more you’re feeding the bacteria inside your mouth that are actively destroying your gums.
We’re not saying that you can never enjoy another chocolate bar ever again. But we are saying that you should be more mindful of what you eat and drink. For example, a lot of sports drinks are advertised as being healthy but contain a lot of sugar. The same thing goes for yogurt and countless other products.
Don’t Skip Dental Appointments
It’s true that you can remove dental plaque at home by brushing and flossing. But once plaque hardens into tartar, it can only be removed by a dental professional. That’s why it’s important that you schedule your teeth cleaning and oral examination with our office at least every 6 months.
During your appointment, one of our hygienists will use a tool called a scaler to gently scrape away plaque and tartar buildup. We’ll then use a high-powered toothbrush and gritty toothpaste to polish your teeth.
Once the hygienist is done cleaning your teeth, one of our dentists will examine your teeth and gums. From there, they’ll be able to determine if you still have gum disease or if the condition has worsened.
If the gingivitis has progressed into periodontitis, we may recommend scaling and root planing. During this procedure, one of our dentists would remove plaque and tartar from the deep pockets around your teeth. They’d then smooth out your tooth roots so receding gums stand a better chance of re-attaching to teeth.
Request an Appointment with Us
Our dentists in Grand Rapids, MI, would be more than happy to help you on your journey to a healthier smile. To request an appointment, call Advance Dental at (616) 956-9183. We hope we hear from you soon!
This blog post has been updated.
