Do You Love Your Gums?

Your gums and you may have a love hate relationship. You may wake up in the morning with a desire to treat them better. But as the day goes on, you might forget that you have to treat them with love. Dr. Rice recommends, “The more love you show them, the better they will treat you.” Unfortunately, left to themselves, your gums may make a nasty turn for the worse.  If continued to be left untreated, this problem can begin to attack your liver, heart and the rest of your body. Periodontal disease can negatively impact your smile, your gums and your body.

By committing to flossing 1x a day, you can turn this relationship around. Recommit to loving your gums and show them the interest they deserve. There is no other way to remove food from between the teeth and no other act of love you can show them that is greater than flossing.

While flossing is the top activity you can complete to save your gums and your body, drinking plenty of water can rinse food from your teeth in between brushing and flossing. Food that is left on your teeth can destroy your smile. But drinking plenty of water can help to keep your smile healthy for a lifetime.

For more information on how to prevent Periodontal disease contact, Dr. Rice and her team today.

3 Reasons Why Water Is Great For Your Gums

Water not only improves your overall health, it can also improve your smile and your gum health. Periodontal disease is a gum disease where bacteria and plaque build up and impacts the overall health of the gums, bone and eventually the teeth. Brushing and flossing are not steps you can skip if you want healthy gums. In order to take your gum health to the next level, Dr. Rice recommends you drink more water and here’s why.

1.     Water helps rinse food from your teeth in between brushing. Once you have consumed any type of food, you don’t want it to stick to the surface of your teeth. Water helps to rinse the mouth and gives bacteria less opportunity to bind with food and turn it into plaque.

2.     When your mouth is dry and humid, it is a breeding ground for bacteria that is already present in the mouth. By drinking water you can limit the opportunity of bacteria to grow.

3.     Drinking water helps rinse out the bacteria that is lying in the mouth but has not yet turned to plaque.   The sooner you can remove the bacteria from your mouth the more likely you are to keep your smile looking great.

Don’t spend time destroying your smile and gums, take time to improve your gums and they can last a lifetime.  For more information contact Periodontist Dr.Rice and her team today.

The Proper Way To Brush

Prevention is the key to success with your gums.  Tooth decay is caused when acid stays on the teeth and begins to attack the enamel. "While you may feel that you can just stick your toothbrush in your mouth and move it back in forth, that is actually not the case," says periodontist Dr. Denine Rice. It is important to use proper brushing techniques to ensure a long lasting smile.

                                                                                                                      

Your toothbrush should have a smaller head with soft bristles.   The bristles of the toothbrush should not be too stiff. The toothbrush should enter your mouth at a forty-five degree angle.   If you open your mouth and your toothbrush head hits the roof of your mouth or the fit is uncomfortable, you may want to get a toothbrush with a smaller head.

Move your toothbrush around in small circles around your teeth.  Dr.Rice suggests, “Brush the gum line as well as the surface of your teeth.” 

There are four quadrants of the mouth, and three different surfaces on each tooth that need to be brushed. It is easy for food to get stuck on the top surface of the molars, make sure to gently brush this area in a back and forth motion in order to get all of the food off of the chewing surface. 

When you’re finished with all of your teeth, don’t forget your tongue. Bacteria can build up on the tongue and lead to decay on your teeth.