Gum disease first develops as the condition known as gingivitis. This is often the result of bacterial-rich, hardened tartar forming at the gumline. This causes inflammation in the sensitive gum tissues. Early symptoms of gingivitis often start out as gums that bleed easily and chronic bad breath, which should be taken as warning signs.
With early diagnosis and treatment, gingivitis can often be reversed by a thorough dental cleaning at Hines Dentistry. You can then prevent it from recurring by having concentrated efforts of improving your daily oral hygiene habits.
The American Dental Association advocates brushing your teeth twice each day and flossing your teeth each evening. This will help clear away plaque and residual food material from between your teeth and along the gumline before it can harden into tartar.
When flossing, you should wrap the excess floss around your middle fingers. Then firmly grip a small section of floss between your thumb and index fingers. It’s important to work the floss around your teeth in a “U” shape and gently clear the space between the teeth and your gumline. Be sure to also floss behind your back teeth.
Once this is done, you can vigorously rinse your mouth with antiseptic mouthwash. While antiseptic mouthwash does help remove previously loosened food particles and kill bacteria, it cannot replace flossing for removing these materials from your mouth.
If you live in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area and you have gum disease concerns, you should call 704-366-3526 for diagnosis and treatment from Dr. Drew Hines.