In the long-term, the health of your gums can have a significant impact on the overall health of your teeth. When gum disease goes untreated, it can easily escalate to gradually compromise the roots of your teeth. This can result in multiple cases of tooth loss as well as costly treatment measures.

Gum disease typically starts out as a mild inflammation known as gingivitis. This can cause your gums to look inflamed and bleed easily after brushing and flossing. Early on it can often be reversed by a thorough dental cleaning at the dental practice of KidsKare P.C. in the Las Cruces, New Mexico area.

Once your teeth have been fully cleaned of bacterial calculus, you can prevent recurrence with improved oral hygiene habits. This starts with following the American Dental Associations guidelines for brushing your teeth twice each day and flossing your teeth at least once a day, preferably at the end of the day. This will help clear away plaque and residual food material from between your teeth and along the gumline.

Your flossing technique can have an impact on the overall effectiveness of your oral hygiene routine. Ideally, you want to start with an 18-inch strand of floss. You can then wrap the excess floss around your middle fingers before gripping a small section between your thumb and index fingers.

You want to work the floss around your teeth in a U-shape and gently clear the space between the teeth and your gum line. Be sure to also floss behind your back teeth. After brushing and flossing, you can vigorously rinse your mouth with antiseptic mouthwash. While antiseptic mouthwash does help remove previously loosened food particles and kill bacteria, it cannot replace the ability of dental floss to remove these materials from your mouth.

If you live in the Las Cruces, New Mexico area and you are experiencing gingivitis symptoms, please call 575-532-5437 for diagnosis and treatment with one of our skilled dentists at a location nearest you.