Healthy Gums Can Help You Have a Healthy Body

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Healthy Gums Can Help You Have a Healthy Body

Maintaining healthy gums can be an important part of your overall oral health routine. When you have healthy gums, your teeth are well-supported by the tissue in your gums and your chances for long-term oral health are significantly increased. If you don’t maintain healthy gums, you are more likely to have gum disease, which can progress  to a number of problems with your teeth and oral health.  Additionally, research suggests that   other long-term, chronic health conditions can be associated with periodontitis, a serious form of gum disease.

Maintaining Healthy Gums

Helping to maintain healthy gums requires a dedicated commitment to an effective oral hygiene routine. In order to help keep healthy gums, there are several easy steps you should take on a daily basis. Here is a checklist of the tools you need to help  keep your gums healthy:

• Toothbrush: When selecting a toothbrush for healthy gums, look for a soft-bristle brush that has bristles of varying heights. This will help the toothbrush stimulate your gums and get into hard-to-reach areas.
• Toothpaste: The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends brushing twice a day with an ADA-accepted fluoride toothpaste. (1) Comprehensive all-in-one formulas such as Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste can provide a number of benefits that help care for your teeth and gums for a healthy mouth. All Crest Pro-Health toothpastes are triclosan free.
• Dental Floss: Flossing may be one of the most important things you can do to help prevent gum problems and maintain healthy gums. (2) Try Glide Deep Clean Floss.
• Gum Stimulator: Available at most drug stores, a gum stimulator can help you keep clean and healthy gums. This simple device features a rubber tip that is used to gently clean and stimulate gums for good circulation and to help prevent gum disease.

Benefits of Healthy Gums

Healthy gums aren’t just important for your oral health. Maintaining healthy gums can also be important for your overall health. Numerous research studies suggest an association between periodontitis, advanced gum disease,  and other, more serious chronic health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. In fact, there are now several studies that suggest an association between advanced gum disease and heart disease or stroke. (3)

Most of the recommendations for maintaining healthy gums are the same recommendations dentists offer for keeping your teeth and mouth in good health. That’s why by simply brushing, flossing and maintaining an effective oral hygiene routine, you can enjoy the following benefits.

• Avoid Pain and Discomfort: Maintaining healthy gums and teeth can help prevent the formation of plaque that can lead to painful tooth decay  and cavities.
• Save Money: Dental procedures such as cavity fillings , root canals and other comprehensive dental work that comes with gum disease can get very expensive. By focusing on prevention and keeping healthy gums, you can save hundreds or thousands of dollars over time.
• Save Time: Dental procedures and appointments can take time away from your busy schedule. On the other hand, it only takes a few minutes a day to take care of your teeth and gums.
• Stay Healthy: Since advanced gum disease has been asuggested to be connected with  serious medical conditions, it’s a good idea to focus on oral health and prevention in order to help maintain your long-term overall health.
• Nice Smile: Last but not least, following all of the recommendations for maintaining healthy gums will also help keep your teeth intact and your smile in good shape.

Sources:

1. http://www.ada.org/public/topics/cleaning.asp
2. http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/gum-problem-basics-sore-swollen-and-bleeding-gums
3. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080908203017.htm