Everyone wants a beautiful smile. This is a given. Quite a lot of the time you hear people talking about tooth whitening, straightening, implants, veneers. But what about your gums? After all they are an important factor in your smile!
Did you know?
Most adults in the UK have gum disease to some degree and most people experience it at least once. It’s less common in children.
Why is gum health so important?
If you have gum disease, your gums may bleed when you brush your teeth and you may have bad breath. This early stage of gum disease is known as gingivitis.If gingivitis isn’t treated, a condition called periodontitis can develop. This affects more tissues that support teeth and hold them in place.
If periodontitis isn’t treated, the bone in your jaw may be damaged and small spaces can open up between the gum and teeth. Your teeth can become loose and may eventually fall out.
What causes gingivitis?
Plaque. If plaque is not removed on a daily basis it produces toxins that will irritate the gum tissue causing gingivitis. This is why oral hygiene is so important in our daily routines.
How can I stop this happening?
Cleaning! You can use interdental brushes to clean in between your teeth. They look like little pipe cleaners and come in different sizes to fit the gaps in between your teeth. This should be done once a day. You should brush your teeth twice a day – morning and night for 2 minutes. Sometimes if you have crowded teeth it may be difficult for you to clean the gums, therefore brace treatment may be a good idea, the cleaning fundamentals will still apply.
