As we wrap up our three-blog series on gum disease, let’s take a moment to recap what we’ve discussed. You know what gum disease is. You know what symptoms to look out for. You know that it can cause greater health problems and affect your overall well-being. Now all of us at Sneed Dental Arts in Collierville want to make sure you know how, together, we can prevent gum disease.
Pairing good dental habits at home with regularly scheduled dental appointments can help maintain a healthy mouth and prevent gum disease from ever occurring. Visiting your dentist in Collierville at least twice a year for exams and cleanings can help keep you healthy and can also help catch any potential problems before they have a chance to progress and affect the rest of your body.
In between your dental checkups, it’s important to practice good dental habits at home to ensure a clean mouth, healthy gums, and health body. Brushing your teeth at least 2-3 times a day and flossing in between your teeth and below the gum line once a day are easy and effective ways to help remove any plaque and bacteria that can cause gum disease. If you can’t brush, chewing sugar-free gum with Xylitol can also help.
In addition to these simple yet very effective habits, other lifestyle factors can also help keep gum disease at bay.
Eat a healthy diet and limit your intake of sugar
Avoid bedtime snacks
Stop smoking – people who use tobacco are six times more likely to develop gum disease and are less responsive to treatment than those who don’t
If you’re due for a dental cleaning and checkup, or if you’re concerned about your gum health, contact our Collierville dental office at 877-978-2640 to schedule an appointment today and we’ll work together to prevent gum disease. If we do happen to find active gum disease, don’t worry. It’s often easily treated. And if we catch it early, it’s even easier. Don’t wait for your gums to show signs of a problem. Be proactive and call us today.