When most people think about keeping their mouth healthy, they tend to focus on their teeth. Straight, sparkling white teeth make everyone look their best! Although healthy teeth are crucial to whole body health, it’s important not to neglect your gums. Without healthy gums, your beautiful smile is in jeopardy – and you may be endangering yourself in other ways, too.
Your gums serve an important purpose: to protect your teeth from bacteria. If you don’t take good care of your gums, plaque and bacteria thrive, causing gum disease to develop. Here are a few early signs of gum disease to look out for:
- Bleeding gums
- Red or swollen gums
- Painful chewing
The Stages of Gum Disease
If your gum disease has advanced, you may also experience loose teeth and receding gums. Early stage gum disease, or gingivitis, can be treated with good oral health habits and a dentist’s supervision. On the other hand, gum disease that progresses beyond gingivitis can cause severe tooth damage, including tooth loss. The inflammation involved in untreated gum disease also increases your risk for cardiovascular disease, dementia, respiratory problems, and other chronic health issues.
So, what can you do to keep your gums protected? The good news is that it couldn’t be easier to promote good gum health, and you may even be taking the basic steps already. Read on for essential tips on healthy gums.
How to Protect Your Gums
If you brush and floss twice daily, your at-home oral health routine is protecting your gums without you knowing it! Not only does flossing clear out food particles that may have accumulated in your mouth throughout the day; it also prevents the growth of plaque, tartar, and bacteria that can cause gum disease. To boost the gum health benefits, add a water flosser into your routine.
Since Russo Dentistry is a modern dental practice, every member of our team takes care to stay up-to-date on the latest innovations in dentistry, including periodontics. We provide a full range of effective treatments for gingivitis, including a quick and painless antibacterial rinse. If your gum disease has progressed beyond gingivitis, we may need to consider scaling and root planning, which is a deeper gum cleaning that removes plaque and tartar from below the gumline. Scaling and root planning often requires a local anesthetic and may take multiple visits to complete.
Of course, we understand that sometimes your gums will need a specialist’s care. At Russo Dentistry, our patients have convenient access to Dr. Thiago Morelli and the experts at North Carolina Implants and Periodontics. With over 20 years of experience, Dr. Morelli is one of the Raleigh area’s most trusted periodontists. We’re proud to provide our patients with superior care for their gums.
It’s time to make your gums healthier than ever, and we know the best place to start. Call Russo Dentistry today to schedule an appointment.
