Gum disease is a big problem for many people. It can develop without you realizing it, and before you know it, it's full-blown gingivitis or even periodontitis. If your family refuses to floss or at least won't commit to it on a regular basis, then their gums are at risk of getting this unwanted disease. Thankfully, there are other ways that you can help to improve your family's gum health. Here are three of them.
Interdental Brushes
The first option available to you is interdental brushes. These are small, tube-like structures on a handle that are covered in the same type of bristles that are on toothbrushes. The big difference between an interdental brush and a toothbrush is that due to the interdental brush's size, it can fit in far more places than a traditional toothbrush.
Standard toothbrushes struggle to get debris and plaque out from between teeth because teeth are closely spaced together. However, an interdental brush is small enough and flexible enough to fit between most teeth. You can use it like a toothbrush, except focusing on sliding it between your teeth rather than over your teeth. Using an interdental brush will help to get rid of food and plaque stuck between your teeth that could lead to gum disease.
Water Flosser
Another great tool that you should consider employing is a water flosser. Despite the name, there's almost no resemblance between traditional flossing and water flossers. Water flossers use a high-powered stream of water to blast away food debris and plaque from between teeth. However, unlike interdental brushes, they also take the next step by being effective at getting rid of plaque that's built upon
and under the gumline.
With efficient use of a water flosser, you can potentially reverse early-stage gum disease. This means that simply adding a water flosser to your home and using it regularly can boost the health of your family's gums significantly.
Mouthwash
Finally, while it isn't enough on its own, you can add mouthwash to one of the above steps for additional help. Mouthwash can't remove plaque or tartar, but what it does do is kill bacteria very effectively. It's useful for getting rid of bacteria that hides around the tongue, cheeks, and anywhere else in the mouth that you don't typically brush.
Bacteria is ultimately responsible for gum disease. Bacteria infect the gums and create plaque and tartar that effectively lock it in, causing damage. By killing the bacteria early on, you can reverse early gum disease and prevent plaque from developing in the first place.
These tools, along with regular visits to your family dentist's office, will help to keep your family's gums healthier.
Share16 December 2019
Hi, my name is Kevin Nelson and I want to tell you about my experience. I had a painful tooth so I went to see my dentist. After the examination, he said that I needed to have a root canal to save the tooth. I told the dentist to just pull the tooth instead and then he explained why that wasn't a good idea. He said that pulling the tooth would cause additional problems and then he told me what could happen. I didn't want any more problems, so the dentist did the root canal and I'm glad that he did. I wanted to write a blog to tell others about the benefits of a root canal and what to expect during the procedure. I hope that by getting the word out, other people won't make the same mistake that I almost did by getting a perfectly good tooth pulled.