Keeping our teeth and gums healthy is not only focused on an aesthetic view, but also on the internal care of the structure as it is also part of the dental structure. And taking this into account is important, since our mouth is not only there to have a nice smile, but also to fulfill several vital functions for the proper development of our body. Especially the most important one: Eating and drinking.
The gums are a soft tissue that is easily infected because it is exposed to constant oral bacteria that can multiply easily if there is no constant hygiene around it. Among the parts of a dental piece, we find the periodontium, which is protected by the gum.
The gums are also important since they are in charge of keeping together the pieces that make up the maxillary bones, which are responsible for the chewing functions of our mouth.
Within the branch of dentistry there is a specialty that deals with dental tissues in particular, or in other words, the gums.
Periodontics and periodontists are in charge of keeping our gums in excellent condition so that they can fulfill the basic functions of the teeth. Although they are very sensitive and can sometimes be problematic, they can be well maintained with excellent dental health. If this is not met, periodontal diseases can develop.
We have already talked about periodontal diseases before, so we know that the best known are gingivitis and periodontitis. But anyway, we will explain them again:
Gingivitis is the first stage of periodontal disease. The gums start to become inflamed, bleed and sometimes hurt excessively. If this disease is not treated in time, there is a possibility that it will worsen and may result in a more serious disease.
Periodontitis is the disease we want to avoid at all costs. It is the most advanced stage of gingivitis, and it is when the tooth could already be considered in a necrotic state. The tissues can no longer support the weight of the tooth, and there may be a loss of teeth. It should be noted that from here the infection can affect the other surrounding teeth, so you risk losing all your teeth if you do not treat it. All this without imagining the amount of pain immersed in this disease.
The use of dental floss and other dental cleaning devices is also essential to maintain good hygiene. In fact, it is something that every dentist or professional will advise you every time you go to the dentist’s office because sometimes our toothbrush is not enough to remove the food debris that remains between our teeth.
Although alcohol is acceptable on holidays and other occasions, it is important to control the frequency and amount we drink per month or year so that it does not affect our teeth or any other part of the body. As for smoking, we advise you to give it up trying every possible way because it does not bring anything positive for your teeth or your organs in general, it only brings problems and is uncontrolled in our health.
This is another of the many supplements we can use to keep our teeth healthy and constantly shiny. Mouthwash is ideal to use twice a day as it helps to kill the remaining bacteria in our mouth. In addition to this, it gives us a good mouth odor.
You can go for a deep cleaning once a year without prior periodontal disease. This helps to keep the dental cavity deep clean and avoid the development of unwanted diseases such as cavities. Although home cleanings are quite effective, they may be insufficient depending on the patient.
In the case of a person who has already had a previous periodontal disease, it is important to perform them more frequently. In this case two per year are recommended, and even in more extreme cases it is necessary to apply one every four months, therefore it would be three per year.
Although this is not a very touched topic through the media, the dental hygiene of a baby is very important, and everything that has to do with their health in general, since it is a developing body that needs to grow in a correct way to not have inconveniences in adulthood. Therefore, from the first eruption of the baby’s teeth, hygiene measures should already be learned to perfection to be able to complete them until the baby has enough knowledge to do them by himself.
If you are a new parent reading this, you should know that babies get their first tooth when they are about 7 months old, but their periodontal health should start long before that. After each feeding, even if the baby doesn’t have teeth, it’s important to clean the area with wet gauze. Want to know more? Well, we’ll leave you with some tips below so you can be aware of what needs to be done:
● When teething, they need to be cleaned with a wet wipe that is only used specifically for that area. Until about a year and a half, when a toothbrush can be used.
● Avoid the use of pacifiers, this can modify the structure of the maxillary bones and therefore the teeth could become deformed or with problems.
● Do not make the baby sleep with the bottle. You could cause the milk or whatever is inside the bottle to get on the gums and cause the dreaded “baby bottle tooth decay”.
● Before the age of two and a half, you can’t use toothpaste, only water. Although you can use a toothbrush that is soft and adapted to their age.
● From the moment the child’s first tooth comes out, take him/her to the dentist so that he/she can get used to it and they can monitor the growth and development of his/her teeth from a very young age.
When we are past the age of childhood and our child is more independent, their oral health is still just as important. There may be some changes, as baby teeth may have fallen out to make way for permanent teeth, but in terms of oral health techniques not much has changed. Here are some important tips you should introduce to your child:
● Maintain consistent brushing of at least twice daily with a fluoride-containing toothpaste.
● Maintain flossing every time you use the toothbrush.
● Do not develop addiction to any type of tobacco, whether chewed or smoked. Besides affecting our teeth, it also affects other parts of the body and are even more harmful in developmental stages.
We have already given you multiple tips to keep your teeth healthy depending on the stage in which you are, but it should be noted that in some cases we must put a little more effort in dental health as we are part of situations that are out of our hands or that we cannot easily leave.
If you are a person who assumes this type of actions, you should be a little more extreme about the dental health of your mouth and give more effort to brushing:
● Tobacco use
● Exposure to stress or insomnia.
● Diabetes, osteoporosis, sexually transmitted diseases, organ transplants, heart disease.
● Lack of vitamins and minerals.
● Hormonal changes due to pregnancy or hormonal contraceptive methods.
In case you have any inconvenience with your teeth or any other part of your mouth and you need to have reliable information from professionals, we invite you to contact our clinic. They will treat you perfectly and will be in charge of making a general assessment of your problem in order to give you accurate results that will help you fight your problem.
Remember that part of a dentist’s job is prevention, but he/she cannot do it without your help. Go to your routine visits! These are the best way to avoid inconveniences and facilitate your goal of having a perfect smile.
