Molesey dentist advises on how to keep your gums healthy

Keeping your gums healthy isn’t an easy job, and you are the only person, who can do this important job in oral care, says a Molesey dentist. The most important thing to remember is that once your gums recede the damage is done and is irreparable, not even your dentist can save them. The best you can hope for is to be able to keep the periodontal disease at bay and slow its progress. Just brushing alone won’t solve the problem of keeping the gums healthy, it needs much more of an effort and that must include flossing in between and around the back of the teeth. Plaque is the enemy of gums, and a build up of plaque will not just weaken the root of the tooth, but it allows the gums to become soft and that’s when they are prone to cuts. Once a gum is cut then bacteria can infect the inside and that’s when the problems really start, if an infection isn’t dealt with straight away then a more serious problem like an abscess will occur. Receding of the gums leaves the tooth and its root exposed to the build up of tartar, this is a hardened version of the dead bacteria that starts off producing acid that eats away at our enamel. Tartar is scraped off when we go for our 6 monthly check up, but by then the damage is usually already done. Flossing at night is the most important job in oral hygiene care, for when we sleep we stop producing saliva that neutralises acid production. It is when we are asleep that the most damage is done to our teeth and gums. The gums are as important as our teeth are, as they protect them from the harshness of what we put in our mouths, therefore it is a good idea to look after them well.