6 Ways to Keep Your Gums Healthy

Tips From a Dentist in Laurel, MD: How to Keep Your Gums Healthy

Keeping your gums in good shape is an essential part of oral health. Here are 6 tips from a dentist in Laurel, MD on how to keep your gums healthy.

Everyone relies on dentists' amazing value to help you enjoy healthy mouths. Maybe that is why the dental industry is worth more than $155 billion in the United States alone every single year! Problems with oral health can dramatically decrease your quality of life.

Of course, a good dentist in Laurel, MD, will tell you that gum health starts at home. In fact, without you taking care of your gums at home, there is very little a dentist can do to keep your gums in top condition.



So what exactly are the best tips you should be following to keep your gums in shape? Read on to learn all about the most important tips to follow when it comes to maintaining your gum health!

1. Use Dental Health Techniques When Brushing Your Teeth

Unfortunately, many people stop learning about how to brush their teeth when they are children. The end result is that they brush their teeth using the simple techniques they learned when they were young.

There are several important things to understand about how to brush your teeth. In general, each session of brushing your teeth should take about two minutes.

It is important to use small circles rather than back-and-forth brushing motions to clean your teeth. It is also important to be quite gentle so that you do not aggravate your gums. Some dentists advise that you should brush so gently that people cannot hear the sound of you brushing your teeth.



On top of that, many people don't realize that they should actually be focusing a lot more on their gum line. The line between your gums and your teeth is a major location where poor oral hygiene can build up.

2. Use Proper Dental Care When Flossing

Brushing your teeth makes no impact on the parts of your teeth that your brush cannot reach. Your teeth are just as likely to develop plaque and other contaminants in the spaces in between them as anywhere else. 

Think about how poor your oral health would be if you did not brush your teeth at all. If you do not floss, there are parts of your mouth that are suffering from exactly that level of poor oral health.

When you floss, make sure that you use the floss to scrape any part of your teeth clean that your brush does not touch. It is also a good idea to go up slightly between your gums and teeth. However, do not go too far.

Excessively rough flossing can aggravate your gums and lead to bleeding. However, if you have not flossed in a long time, you may find that your gums bleed at first. Do not let this discourage you from flossing.

Your gums will become a lot less sensitive when they are clean. After you have been flossing for a while, your gums will stop bleeding. All along the way, remember to floss thoroughly and gently at the same time.

3. Make Sure You Are Using the Right Kind of Toothpaste

Companies like to brag about the complicated features of their toothpaste. However, almost all toothpaste works basically the same. The most important thing to focus on is that your toothpaste includes fluoride.



Fluoride can make your enamel harder and stronger. That can provide a lot of protection from poor oral health. Poor oral health in one part of your mouth can easily spread to another part of your mouth and affect your gums.

4. Avoid Things That Damage Your Gums

If possible, try to limit the times that you eat to specific times of the day. If you brush your teeth after breakfast but have a snack just an hour later, your mouth will only be properly clean for about one hour.

On top of that, you should avoid things like tobacco and vape. Both of these things can aggravate your gum tissue. That can lead to inflammation and infection.

Unfortunately, once these problems start, they often become chronic. Healthy gums might be able to take normal wear and tear. But sensitive gums may become more sensitive in response to normal stimulation.



That means that you will have to be extremely careful with your gums until they return to normal health. Once they do, you will want to avoid aggravating them.

5. Add Mouthwash to Your Routine

Even with flossing, it can be hard to reach every little spot in your mouth. Mouthwash is a powerful way to make sure that you are reaching everywhere. Although it is no substitute for brushing and flossing, it can reduce the number of bacteria in your mouth.

6. Visit a Local Dentist

You might want to look up "dentist near me." After you have done everything you can, working with the best dentist you can find can help you address any remaining issues. In many cases, a dentist can direct your attention to the precise causes of any gum problems you are having.

Work With a Quality Dentist in Laurel MD

Many people stop learning about how to improve their oral hygiene when they learn to brush their teeth and floss as children. There are plenty of simple tips you can apply to take your oral hygiene and gum health to the next level. We hope that some of the ideas in this brief article about the best advice from a dentist in Laurel, MD, for keeping your gums healthy have been helpful for you.



To learn more about how to keep your gums healthy or where you can find a great dentist in Laurel, MD, to work with, contact us here at any time!