Recent television and billboard adverts for a certain brand of mouthwash have started to draw attention to the danger of gum disease, especially when it comes to the links it has with tooth loss. It is about time that the public took notice of this warning because too often the health of gums is sidelined by a focus on teeth that is well-meaning but misses out a crucial aspect of good oral hygiene.
The fact is that taking care of your gums is just as important as looking after your teeth and it is just as simple. The key to having healthy gums is to make sure that plaque is removed from the gum line of teeth. This is mostly achieved by the brushing that is routine for a great many people. But something that is missed out all too often is flossing. Plaque easily gets into the gaps between teeth, as well as sticking to the surfaces of teeth. This has to be removed with as much urgency as the plaque that is on the surfaces of teeth and yet the bristles of tooth brushes are not equipped to get there. Pulling dental floss through the gaps should take care of it.
The gum disease that is to be avoided starts off as gingivitis: a relatively benign condition that manifests itself as slightly reddened gums that are a little more sensitive to extremes in temperature. This condition can be easily cleared up with better brushing and flossing and sometimes the use of certain mouth washes or antibiotics.
Where gum disease can cause tooth loss is cases when periodontitis occurs. Here the inflammation spreads to the jaw bones and the painful, swollen gums start to recede dangerously. Get help from your London W1 dentist is the best advice when it comes to your gums.