Having healthy gums is just as important for your oral hygiene as having healthy teeth. While most of us are conscious about teeth brushing, it is often the case that our gums are forgotten about. It is super important to our health routine that we take care of the whole mouth.
At Warnervale Dental we love keeping our gums healthy ! Here are some tips for healthy gums. They are pretty straightforward but should help improve your gum (and overall mouth health) drastically!
1. Regular dental visits
We would recommend regular visits to your dental hygienist or oral health therapist. On average, a visit every six months would ensure that any potential oral disease would be caught early and therefore minimise the need for complex dental treatment. This would save you money and time in the long run!
2. Watch your medications
It’s best that you have a discussion with your dental professional about your medications. Some medications can affect the health of your gums. If this is the case, your dental professional can advise the best course of action so that you can continue to take your medicine, while also looking after your gums.
3. Minutes matter
The amount of time you spend brushing your teeth should be for at least two minutes twice daily. To make this easier, play music as you brush!
4. Use a circular motion
The method of how your brush your teeth is also important. We recommend using small circular motions, with the toothbrush continually at a 45-degree angle towards the gums. Or if you want a simpler brush, use an electric toothbrush! If you have one with a small round oscillating head, it will do all the hard work for you. Your teeth and gums will be squeaky clean!
5. Soft bristles
To protect your gums, the toothbrush should only be soft or extra soft. Anything harder will begin to wear away at the enamel and gums, causing damage in the long run.
6. Fantastic Fluoride
We recommend the use of fluoride toothpaste. This is because the fluoride will be incorporated into the tooth structure while you brush – making it stronger and more resistant to acid and decay.
7. Swish, spit and don’t rinse
Swish the toothpaste around your mouth for 30 seconds, then spit out the remainder. Don’t eat or rinse your mouth for at least 30 minutes.
8. Mouthwash separately
It’s a common misconception to use mouthwash after brushing. However, we would say that mouthwash should be used at a separate time to brushing, or before brushing with fluoride toothpaste. If you use mouthwash after brushing, it’ll wash away the concentrated fluoride that was in your toothpaste, making it ineffective.
9. Clean in between your teeth!
Your toothbrush won’t be able to reach those hard places in between your teeth – so if you’re just brushing, you’re only doing half the job of cleaning your mouth. You can clean in between your teeth using various tools like floss, interdental brushes, flosser, or waterpiks! If you are confused about these choices, then speak to your dental professional – they would be happy to help you find something that works for you.
10. Don’t forget your tongue
We also recommend you clean your tongue to help keep your gums healthy! Use a tongue scraper or brush your tongue to remove plaque.
If you’d like a consultation and advice on keeping your gums healthy, contact us today!
This blog post was written by Georgia Littler, our Oral Health Therapist.
Georgia graduated from the University of Sydney in 2018 with a Bachelor of Oral Health. As an Oral Health Therapist, Georgia is dual-qualified as both a dental therapist and dental hygienist.
For more fun facts on Oral Health Therapist, Georgia click here.