Top Reasons Why You Should Take Care of Your Gums

Everyone wants a beautiful set of healthy, dazzling pearly whites. However, it takes much more than just sparkling teeth to keep your smile in good shape! Your gums play an essential role in the wellbeing of your teeth, your oral health, and even your overall health. Here are the top reasons why it’s so important to take care of your gums and how you can avoid serious issues like gum disease!

Unhealthy Gums Are Bad for Teeth

Have you ever stopped to consider the purpose of your gums? This soft pink tissue encases the roots of your teeth and your jawbone, providing important nutrients while keeping out harmful particles. It also acts as the supportive connective tissues that help hold your pearly whites firmly in place.

If plaque and bacteria aren’t cleaned off your gums regularly, you may develop a bacterial infection known as gum disease. Gum disease initially manifests as puffy, red gums that bleed easily. However, if the infection is left untreated, the bacteria will begin to spread through the gums and damage them. Eventually, gum disease can cause jawbone complications, gum recession, and tooth loss. In short, if you want your jaw to stay strong and your teeth to stay in place, it’s essential that you have healthy gums!

Connecting Gum Health to Overall Wellbeing

The impact of your gum health goes far beyond your mouth. If the dangerous bacteria at the root of gum disease were to escape into your bloodstream, it could travel to and infect other parts of your body, like the brain, heart, or lungs. Simultaneously, a prolonged inflammatory response from your body’s immune system can cause inflammation to spread throughout your system, damaging tissues and restricting arteries. Experts have connected the presence of gum disease with all manner of serious systemic health issues, including arthritis, diabetes, memory loss, respiratory infection, and heart disease. Even if your pearly whites themselves are healthy, infected gums could potentially increase your risk of heart attacks and strokes by 20%!

How to Keep Your Gum Health On Track

Thankfully, a few simple precautions and healthy habits can go a long way in keeping your gums healthy:

• Practice great oral hygiene: To keep bacteria away from your gums, make sure you brush your teeth and gums for two minutes twice a day and floss daily.
• Eat a nutritious, low-sugar diet: Avoid sugary foods that fuel bacteria and eat a healthy diet to keep your jawbone, gum tissue, and immune system strong.
• Get two dental checkups every year: The ADA recommends getting a dental checkup and cleaning every six months to remove plaque buildup and prevent issues like gum disease.
• Talk to your dentist about periodontal therapy: If you notice any warning signs of gum disease, such as inflamed, easily bleeding gums, talk to your dentist right away. Treatments like scaling and root planning and antibiotic therapy can help stop gum disease in its tracks.

About the Practice

The talented team of Drennan Family Dentistry is dedicated to providing personalized, quality dental care for smiles of all ages in Fort Worth and the surrounding communities. They create custom treatment plans to ensure that every patient gets exactly the right kind of unique care they need. Whether you need a simple checkup and cleaning or a more complex treatment like periodontal therapy, they offer a comprehensive menu of services to help you achieve and maintain optimal oral health. To learn more about gum health, they can be contacted via their website or at (817) 732-5522.