Well, if you have not yet, gingivitis is the name given to the inflammation of gums. Gingivitis is commonly caused by poor oral health like the accumulation of plaque, bacteria, and food in gums and teeth. It results in gum bleeding and even tooth loss.
Gum problems in India is a pretty new phenomenon. You see, the habit of using ‘neem’ branches has been prevalent. Thereafter came the powdered toothpaste, which was used widely by urban society. The problem, however, is not with the morning toothpaste. It is in our food habits. There was a time when Indian families consumed simple food, which consisted of rice, dal, and vegetables.
However, with the growing influx of foreign food and drinking habits, our bodies started changing accordingly.
Widespread marketing of companies like Pepsi and fast-food restaurants, making investments here in India, made an irreversible impact on our lives. Some for good and some for the worse. Fast food intake habits or drinking Pepsi/Coca-Cola have made our teeth and gums susceptible to damage.
If you are reasonably apprehensive of contracting gingivitis or have the condition for sure, here’s a list of effective ways to keep your gums healthy.
7 Effective Ways to Keep Your Gums Healthy
1. Brush your teeth twice a day
Layers of plaque and food particles get accumulated on your gums and teeth if you do not regularly brush your teeth. Brushing teeth twice in a day will keep the bacterial build up in your gums at bay. Plus, it will keep the basic hygiene of your mouth well. Brushing twice a day will keep you away from the pre-gingivitis stage, i.e., yellow stains.
2. Choice of brush
Try to opt for an electric toothbrush. It helps in cleaning your teeth in a way that the ordinary one cannot. Often it is seen that hard bristles make the gums bleed. That is precisely why it is vital to choose a toothbrush that has soft bristles. Harsh bristles tend to clean less and cause severe injury to your gums. Another neglected tip for you is changing your toothbrush every three months, if not earlier.
3. Use fluoride toothpaste
Choosing the right toothpaste for brushing your teeth is one of the most important yet neglected steps toward attaining healthy gums. Having fluoride in your toothpaste supports the formation of dental enamel and accelerates the decay of plaque.
4. Reduce or quit smoking
Chain-smoking deposits tartar on your gums and teeth. Thus, a chain smoker’s gums appear more black than a non-smoker’s. Along with tartar, smoking also accelerates plaque deposition and saliva secretion in your mouth, resulting in bacterial growth in the gums. Even worse is the combination of tea/coffee along with smoking. So make sure you reduce or quit smoking at the earliest if you want to steer clear of gingivitis.
5. Use a therapeutic mouthwash
30 seconds of swishing mouthwash can do wonders for your gums. Therapeutic mouthwash helps reduce or control gum swelling, plaque deposition, tooth decay, gum bleeding, and bad breath. However, children younger than six are not advised to use mouthwash unless recommended by a dentist.
6. Limit intake of sugary food
Despite being tasty, foods containing sugar encourage bacterial build-up in the gums, resulting in plaque formation, gum swelling, and tooth decay. Along with attracting bad bacteria, foods with high sugar content lower the mouth’s pH level, resulting in tooth enamel decay, and gingivitis.
7. Rinse your mouth with saltwater
This is an age-old technique to deal with bacterial infections or gingivitis in your mouth. If you rinse your mouth with salt water, you are bound to get over gum inflammations and pain. Many times food particles keep depositing in various parts of our teeth. With saltwater rinsing, you can get rid of them easily. An added advantage is that there will be no foul smell coming from your mouth anymore. The simple process of using half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of lukewarm water can do you much good. Just go ahead, swish and spit it and repeat the process twice or thrice every day.
There are, however, more than one kind of mouth water rinsing technique that can keep gingivitis away forever. There’s Lemongrass Oil mouthwash, which uses lemongrass essential oil. Then there is Aloe Vera juice too, and it works wonders. According to a few studies, it has come to the forefront that using tea tree oil or fresh/dry sage, guava leaves, and cloves can help keep your mouth fresh as ever!
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