September is known as Gum Care Awareness Month, and here at CTL Dental, we endeavour to share with our patients, and promote ways in which you can improve your gum health, and continue to look after them.
Did you know that Gum Disease - known as Periodontal Disease - is the leading cause for tooth loss in people over the age of 35? It can be caused by a few factors, some of which are in your hands alone!
We all know that smoking, is bad for our health, but it really can impact the health of your gums too.
Please follow this link for smoking cessation advice: https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/
People might think that brushing teeth twice a day for 2 minutes is a long time, but we highly recommend it! It's so important to brush your teeth for this length of time, and spending about 30 seconds in each quarter of your mouth - most electric toothbrushes are timed to help you spend the correct amount of time in each part. We advise you to hold your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle whilst brushing, and don't brush too hard as this can aggravate the gums and lead to them bleeding. It's important to not rinse, even with water!
Did you know that using mouthwash straight after brushing your teeth is not beneficial for you! It removes all the fluoride that the toothpaste has left on your teeth (this is why you shouldn't eat for at least 30 minutes after you've brushed your teeth). Using mouthwash to refresh your mouth during the day is the most ideal way to use it.
Sometimes our gums do bleed when we brush, this can be perfectly normal, it can sometimes occur from us either brushing too hard, or irritating the gums whilst carrying out interdental cleaning such as flossing, but generally its due to inflammation of the gums the better your Oral Care Regime is the less inflammation you will have and less bleeding.
There are many different ways you can keep your mouth clean with interdental methods. (Interdental means in between the teeth). Some people like to use floss to clean in between the teeth, this is good, but can miss quite a large surface of the tooth.
At CTL we would recommend using interdental brushes and using them daily within your daily routine. If you have an appointment with us, and are unsure of the size you require, we can measure up for the best brushes for you. We sell the brand Curaprox in surgery, but you can order other brands like TePe online (sizing will vary). We can always demonstrate to you how to use these to ensure you're getting the best from them.
We also sell a range of products that can help you care for, and promote gum health, using these as well as the interdental cleaning, is a sure fire way to keep on top of those gums! We sell a range from Kin - Mouthwash, Perio Gel (one which includes Hyaluronic Acid to promote healing), Perio spray, and a Perio Gel that includes aloe vera - If you'd be interested in any of these products, please do ask at your next appointment, where our clinician will guide you through the use of them.
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