Periodontal Problems And Their Impact On Our Lives

How we can improve our gum health care with just a little additional effort

Like many medical issues, a lot of dental problems could have been prevented by taking better care of ourselves. This isn’t always easy and some health issues can arise simply because of the type of work that we can do and situations that we find ourselves in. Some things may be largely out of our control but there is still a lot that we can do to help ourselves. This applies especially to dental care as what we eat and how we clean our teeth and gums is something that we can usually control as long as we remember to do so during our daily life.

Life these days can be busy and everything seems to be rushed. Unfortunately, for many people, this includes the way that they clean their teeth. A quick brush before bedtime and in the morning may freshen our mouths but is likely to be insufficient to keep our teeth and gums healthy. Our gums, in particular, are likely to suffer from this type of brushing and just a little more focus when we brush our teeth can make a big difference.

Brushing techniques

In addition to the ‘brush for two minutes’ guidelines, there are two simple things that can be done to make this part of our oral health regime much more effective. The first is to make sure that you have the right tools for the job. Take a look at your toothbrush. We would imagine that quite a few of you will be looking at a toothbrush that looks pretty worn out. As the bristles of a toothbrush become worn and softened, they are much less effective at removing food and bacteria. Make sure to replace your toothbrush every three months (or the head of an electric toothbrush).

Secondly, when you brush your teeth, don’t ‘flat brush’ them but make sure that you turn the bristles so that they reach beneath the gum line as well. This is an area where a lot of food particles and bacteria collect and neglecting it is likely to lead to decay and gum disease. It really isn’t hard to do and is just a case of getting into the habit to do this each time we brush.

Finally, and something we have discussed before; make sure to use dental floss to clean in the areas between the teeth. If you haven’t done this before, we think you will be surprised at how much debris this removes. You might find it a little tricky initially, but a little practice will find you doing this easily and routinely. If you do need help, there are numerous videos available online or you can ask the dental hygienist at our Wickford dental clinic to show you how to do this correctly.

Further protection

Having done all this, you stand a good chance of having a set of teeth and gums that are quite healthy. Despite this though, bacterial build up can still occur in the form of tartar, which is a collection of bacteria and minerals from saliva, that forms a rough surface, or crust, on the gumline. This makes it easier for not only staining foods and drinks to attach to, but bacteria also. If this is allowed to progress, it can eventually result in gingivitis, or even periodontitis, which is a much more serious form of gum disease. However much we try to remove this at home, we are unlikely to succeed and this is the reason that we strongly urge patients of the Cygnet Dental Practice to see the dental hygienist on a regular basis. They can perform a non-invasive treatment known as a ‘scale and polish’ that will keep any tartar build up under control and leave you with healthy teeth and gums.

Why bother with your gums?

We all want to avoid toothache, fillings and extractions and therefore usually make an effort to clean our teeth. Because we tend not to think so much about our gums, they can sometimes become neglected. There are a number of things that can occur when we do that though. These include:

• Sore and inflamed gums
• Gums that bleed when we brush our teeth
• Pus formation between the teeth
• Bad breath (halitosis)
• Wobbly teeth
• Receding gums

Ultimately, if we neglect our gum care, these problems can become serious and affect not only the tooth, but the bone into which they are set. As this becomes infected it degrades and is no longer capable of securing the tooth in place. Initially, this might cause our teeth to become wobbly, but can also cause them to fall out. Whilst a deep clean, or root scaling, can sometimes prevent this from happening, this is in no way guaranteed and you should try to make sure that the problem doesn’t become this severe.

Remember then, to brush and floss your teeth well at home and also have them checked by our dental hygienist at least every six months. Just a little effort goes a long way in helping you to have a clean and healthy mouth!

To make an appointment to see the hygienist at the Cygnet Dental Practice, please call our Wickford clinic on 01268 733078.