Look after your gum health, or risk losing your teeth

Gums are quite literally the seal around your teeth, and without them protecting the more sensitive tissues underneath, visits to the dentist would become a more common occurrence.

When bacteria is allowed to sit on gums and teeth owing to infrequent or incorrect brushing, small pockets start to form and this creates more places for plaque to hide.

Plaque is a soft, clear and sometimes yellow film of bacteria which can harden if left too long. If this happens, tartar is formed, and is usually darker in colour – something only a dental professional can remove.

So how do you prevent this from happening?

We asked Ballito dentist, Dr Danielle Walmsley of Dentique, who says the answer is in correct brushing methods.

“Gentle pressure and circular motions helps to remove plaque from the gum line and just under the gum. If not removed, this may cause irritation,” she says.

In some cases, people experience receding gums.

“This can be caused by not properly removing plaque, which leads to tartar build up.”

Irritation starts to occur, which affects both the gum and bone, eventually leading to bone loss which further causes gums to recede. Brushing too hard may also cause gums to recede, especially in cases where people brush their teeth too frequently. Brushing twice daily is all that is needed.

“Receding gums expose the root which is not covered by enamel, which means it is not as durable and more likely to get cavities. Areas of wear can also occur from brushing. Exposed roots also cause generalised sensitivity.”

Dr Walmsley said that if this is the case for you, seeing an oral hygienist regularly might just solve the problem. However, in severe cases gum surgery may be required.

Natural alternatives to improving gum health include oil pulling which she says has become quite popular (oil pulling is the practice of swishing a type of edible oil around in your mouth to clean and whiten your teeth) and salt rinsing can also be used in cases of minor irritation.

Dr Walmsley said the most common causes of gum disease was gingivitis – where inflammation is limited to the soft tissue.

“A person with gingivitis will experience bleeding of the gums when brushing their teeth, or even while eating or just applying slight pressure to the gum.

“If left untreated, it will progress to periodontitis which is when teeth also become plagued. This leads to bone loss and further recession of gums. If left untreated, it will cause you to lose teeth.”

On the practice of regularly rinsing your mouth with salt, Dr Walmsley said it was best kept to treat infections and should not be done regularly.

“The main factor in keeping optimal gum health is proper removal of plaque, as it is the main cause of gum irritation and disease.”