Prevent Gum Disease

Reversing gum disease symptoms on a budget

The best way to prevent gum disease is to keep your mouth plaque free.

The latest dental care products are great for removing plaque but can be expensive. Here are a few affordable ideas to help keep your gums healthy without breaking the bank...

When you eliminate dental plaque every day...you win. With a little practice, you can remove most of the plaque from your teeth and prevent gum disease at home.

Brush and Floss

Brushing and flossing are the best ways to keep your teeth plaque free. Brushing teeth properly removes plaque from your gumline.

Using the best dental floss removes plaque from between your teeth and "under" your gums.

Almost everyone brushes their teeth and almost everyone can improve their brushing style. Just a few simple changes can make your brushing so much more effective. Take the time to improve your brushing technique.

Flossing is difficult for most people at first, but worth the time and effort it takes. Nothing does the job of preventing gum disease better than floss. Be sure you have good flossing technique. If you are going to the trouble of flossing...might as well do it right:)

Using the best dental floss for you will make flossing easier.

What else can you do?

Have a complete dental check up twice a year
Drink plenty of water
Use fluoride toothpaste and fluoride mouthwash
Eat a healthy diet
Avoid sugar
Watch for symptoms of gum disease

Helpful and affordable gadgets

Sometimes you need more than a brush and floss to reach tough spots. Here are some other plaque removing products that I like:

Interdental Brush also called interproximal brush, these work well for cleaning between teeth that have some space between them. They don't work at all if your teeth are close together. Interdental brushes are also helpful if you have dental braces.

Toothpicks work great for cleaning between your teeth and along your gum line. You only need one hand and don't have to look in the mirror.

Like to multi-task? Keep some in your car for when you are stuck in traffic.

If you break the tooth pick in half it will work better....try it:)

Ask your dental hygienist for a perio-aide; a reusable toothpick handle that makes using a toothpick easier and more effective.

Floss picks. Everyone loves these because they don't hurt your fingers, get tangled, cut your gums....they're easier in every way:)

The bad news... They don't work as well as flossing the traditional way. Floss picks don't wrap around your tooth at all so the floss can't get under your gums.

Floss picks do help prevent cavities between your teeth but don't prevent gum disease as well as flossing by hand.

Floss picks are helpful for people with arthritis or limited fine motor skills and are great when you are just starting to floss.

Floss theaders are needed for flossing under fixed bridges and around many types of orthodontic braces.

Whenever possible, it's best to keep it simple...most of the time a toothbrush and floss will do just fine to prevent gum disease. One or two extra gadgets are great when you need them.

Find the dental care product that works best for you and fits your budget then take time to squeeze it into your day.

The best dental gadgets are the ones that get used:)

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