Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in the world. It is the main reason why you may need dental implants in the future, a time-consuming and costly tooth restoration option. It is important for you to treat gum disease early so you can have healthy gums and avoid paying a small fortune for dental implants. If your teeth are starting to become a bit loose, don’t worry, it may not be too late for you to stabilise your mouth.
Here are our top tips on how to treat gum disease at home:
Use an electric toothbrush
Manual toothbrushes are a thing of the past! The speed and effectiveness of an electric toothbrush is far superior, and there is little reason to use outdated manual techniques to clean your teeth. We recommend you use the Oral-B brand of electric toothbrush, as studies show they are the best at plaque removal. The toothbrush head rotates which has been shown to clear plaque quickly.
Also, remember to brush twice daily.
Use your brush properly
It is alarming how many people say they brush their teeth twice a day, but their plaque levels are high. The reason for this is that their technique is all wrong. We routinely ask our patients to bring in their toothbrush to show us how they brush their teeth and invariably it is not optimal. Make sure you are actually cleaning your teeth when you brush by following the correct protocol. Watch the video below:
Use interproximal brushes DAILY
You use your toothbrush to clean your teeth daily, but how do you expect to clean in between your teeth? That is where interproximal brushes come in. They are available in different sizes, so you need to ensure you use the correct ones for your individual mouth; it is best if your dentist or hygienist recommends the proper size. Generally, you want to use the biggest one that fits in between the teeth, without the metal middle touching the teeth. If you are using something too small, you are not cleaning the spaces between your teeth well and you may be wasting your time.
For tight gaps, you can use dental floss or tape. Like interproximal brushes, floss or tape must also be used in the correct way to ensure it is effective. Like toothbrushing, we see patients who claim to be flossing daily but still have a lot of plaque. Watch the video below to ensure you are not wasting your time when you floss!
Mouthwash
Corsodyl daily mouthwash is a great mouthwash that helps treat gum disease. It works in a special way to kill bacteria and prevent plaque from reattaching to the tooth. You have to use it in a specific way to get the benefits. Do not use it at the same time as toothbrushing because the toothpaste interacts with it reducing effectiveness. Avoid eating or drinking 30mins before after use.
Stop smoking
This is one of the biggest things you can do to help reduce gum disease. There are masses of evidence to show that quitting smoking can help success rates of treatment. It is not only the fact you smoke but the number of cigarettes you smoke as well. So, if you cannot quit, at least try to reduce quantity you smoke as this will help too.
Ensure you are in good health
There are many medical factors that can affect the health of your gums. One of these is diabetes. If your blood sugar levels are unregulated, it can wreak havoc on your gums. Working with your doctor to keep your diabetes under control can have the bonus of helping treat gum disease.
See your dentist/hygienist first!
As you can see, there are many things you can do to help treat gum disease at home; however, you need to see the dentist if you want this all to be effective. Why? Two reasons:
Hardened plaque deposits known as calculus are impossible to remove without professional equipment, no matter how hard you brush – once these deposits are on your teeth, they just attract MORE plaque because they are rough.
You cannot clean underneath your gums like a hygienist or dentist does, and this is where the gum disease happens.
In summary, while the home care tips above can be incredibly helpful, if you do not see a dentist for proper treatment, you may not get the results you seek. Do not hesitate to schedule an appointment and start getting your gums back to health today!
