There are several common symptoms for gum disease: redness, swollen gums, tender gums, gum tissue that bleeds, and bad breath. Yes, these are presentations of symptoms that could signal other types dental disease, but that’s one reason why it’s so important to pay a visit to your dentist at Silver Creek Family Dental if you ever notice these symptoms. And don’t delay, because when Gingivitis is ignored the symptoms could worsen to the much scarier and much more difficult to treat periodontal disease. 

There are certain risk factors Gingivitis. Poor dental care is the most obvious, but did you know that genetics can have as much cause for the development of the disease as anything else? It’s true. Other risk factors include: tobacco (Say no to tobacco in general, there’s nothing positive about tobacco use), crooked teeth that are difficult to clean, diabetes and other systemic disease, medications taken because of systemic disease, oral contraceptives, and even pregnancy (Yes, during pregnancy a woman can develop Gingivitis as a result of the pregnancy). 

You may notice on the list of possible risk factors something you either have or take, but that doesn’t mean that you are going to contact gum disease. But it does mean that you need to be careful, and vigilant. You should brush your teeth twice each and every day, and floss once. And don’t forget to pay twice-yearly visits to your dentist at Silver Creek Family Dental.

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Whey then, if flossing is an important component to oral care, do people neglect it? The facts are that even the U.S Department of Health and Human Services has stated that flossing is “an important oral hygiene practice”. And not only is flossing an important tool for cleaning between teeth, but it’s also the perfect tool to remove food bits and other types of debris caught between two teeth. According to the American Dental Association, people will use all kinds of items to remove debris and other items from between their teeth (Credit cards and other pointed objects).

When is the best time of day to floss you might ask? Anytime. Floss your teeth at the time of day when you are most likely to make the practice of flossing habit. If you are too tired in the evening to floss, then try to floss at other times of day. And there is no set order for which you should brush and floss. Floss first or brush first, it doesn’t matter as long as you do both. Remember also to brush your teeth at least twice daily, and remember the importance of your regular dental visit at Silver Creek Family Dentistry to have your teeth cleaned and inspected by your dentist.

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