Tips for Healthy Gums

Wilson, Greenville, Goldsboro, Rocky Mount, Raleigh & nearby areas

Thu, 09/22/2016

Maintaining your oral hygiene is not simply about keeping your teeth clean; you also have to take care of your gums. If gum disease develops, both your oral health and your overall health can be compromised with issues from tooth loss to digestive problems.

While regular visits with your general dentist can help you prevent and monitor the risk of gum disease, there are also many simple things that you can do at home to ensure that you have healthy gums such as:

  • Brushing your teeth at least twice a day but preferably after every time that you eat a meal or snack
  • Brushing for a solid two minutes and making sure to brush linings of gums on both sides of teeth
  • Flossing teeth every day
  • Using antiseptic mouthwash that will kill harmful bacteria
  • Eating calcium rich foods that will help to protect your tooth enamel and prevent harmful foods from sticking to your teeth or underneath your gums
  • Reducing your intake of sugary foods that are harmful to your overall oral health

In addition to at home care, it is necessary to visit the general dentist every six months. During your routine dental visit, your dentist will do a variety of things that are important to maintain oral health which include:

  • Track overall oral health, tooth decay and gum disease
  • Clean the teeth extremely well
  • Floss the teeth well, making sure to clean beneath the gums around teeth
  • Make sure gums and teeth are healthy and don’t need any extra preventative care

If you are experiencing any type of problems with your oral health and want to find out more about keeping your gums healthy, please contact Boles, Ham, Dixon and Boles, DDS today at 252-291-2892 for a routine dental visit. Our Rocky Mount general dentist can help you maintain healthy gums and teeth and help to prevent future oral health problems before they even become an issue.

Dixon Boles & Associates