What Is Lurking Under Your Gumline?

Healthy gums are just as important as healthy teeth for your overall dental health. Oral hygiene is important for maintaining the health of your teeth and gums. Arden Dental Care in Sacramento, CA not only provides the ideal dental treatments based on your needs, but also important suggestions on how to protect your teeth.

What Is Gum Disease?

Gum disease is a gum infection that can spread to the bone that surrounds and supports your teeth. Bacteria in plaque, a sticky, white film that regularly builds on your teeth, cause it. 

Plaque can accumulate if it is not cleaned regularly by brushing and flossing, and germs can infect not only your gums and teeth but also the gum tissue and bone that support the teeth. As a result, they may become loose, fall out, or require removal by a dentist.

Symptoms of Gum Disease

Gum disease is frequently silent, which means that symptoms may not occur until the disease has progressed to an advanced state. However, the following are symptoms of gum disease:

• Gums that are red, swollen, or sensitive, or other pain in your mouth
• Bleeding while brushing your teeth, flossing, or eating hard foods
• Gums that are receding or pulling away from the teeth, making the teeth appear longer than they were previously.
• Teeth that are loose or separating
• Pus between your teeth and gums
• Bad breath that persists
• Changes to the fit of partial dentures

How to Avoid Gum Disease

While brushing, hold your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle with the bristle tips targeted at the line where the tooth and gum meet. A soft toothbrush's bristles can clean the food particles in the pockets in front and rear of the tooth, but floss is required to clean between the teeth. Make sure the floss gets into the pocket between the teeth and can scrape food particles up and out.

If the toothbrush is not held at the proper angle, the bristles will not be able to reach into the pockets and clear out germs before it forms into enamel-damaging plaque. If plaque builds up in the pockets around the teeth, the gum will begin to peel away. The pockets will eventually get too deep for your toothbrush bristles to reach. Unfortunately, the tooth structure beneath the gum line is more prone to decay than the enamel above the gum line.

For the best dental care, contact Arden Dental Care at (916) 481-2001 or visit us at 1832 Avondale Ave Ste 1, Sacramento, CA 95825.