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Did you know that gum disease can trigger many issues with oral health? A periodontist in Fairfield confirms that it can cause your gums to turn red, make your breath smell funky, and lead to tooth loss. Moreover, reversing gum disease after it has already infected a tooth is more difficult than preventing it. For this reason, it’s best to know how to keep your gums healthy.

Effective Ways to Steer Clear of Gum Disease

Practice Excellent Oral Hygiene

A severe case of gum disease doesn’t just happen overnight. A sticky layer of bacteria called plaque builds up on your teeth. Plaque eventually hardens into tartar, which requires professional teeth cleaning to eliminate. Moreover, plaque and tartar can irritate your gums and cause inflammation, leading to gum disease.

Since it progresses over time, maintaining a good oral hygiene routine can go a long way in stopping it from reaching an irreversible stage. If you want to keep your gums healthy, it’s best to brush your teeth twice a day, floss once a day, and visit your dentist every six months.

Maintain a Balanced Diet

As your oral bacteria feed on carbs and sugar, they release acids that cause damage to your gums and eat away at your teeth’s protective outer layer called the enamel. For this reason, you’ll want to limit your intake of starchy foods, sugary treats, and sweet beverages that cause tooth decay and cavities.  

It’s important to note that plenty of foods and drinks are packaged as health items but contain high sugar levels. Do yourself a favor by checking the nutritional information on the package before putting it in your grocery cart. Besides being good for your smile, a balanced diet can boost your overall health.

Drink Lots of Water

One of your body’s natural defenses against plaque and tartar is your saliva. Your salivary glands produce more saliva after each meal. Your saliva can wash away plaque and food debris that cling to your teeth. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day keeps your mouth moist, increases salivary flow, and maintains a healthy environment for your teeth and gums.  

Get More Vitamin C

Vitamin C has properties that prevent common gum disease symptoms, such as gum swelling and bleeding. For this reason, people who don’t get enough vitamin C are likely to develop gum disease. You can boost your resistance to this condition by eating more strawberries, oranges, and kiwis or taking vitamin C supplements.  

Chew Sugar-Free Gum

You'll want to chew gum if you cannot brush your teeth after a meal. Since chewing gum stimulates salivary flow, it helps eliminate bacteria and food particles. However, the gum has to be sugar-free. Otherwise, the sugar in the gum will give harmful bacteria more fuel.

Do You Need to See a Periodontist in Fairfield?

At Brooklawn Dental Associates, we offer quality dentistry for the whole family in a comfortable and welcoming environment. Since we work hard to make your visit special, we use state-of-the-art technology, continue our training, and increase our knowledge with ongoing educational opportunities. Contact our office today to make an appointment.