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All-about-tooth-and-tooth-therapy

Taking Care of Your Teeth

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You teeth for a Lifetime
Many people could keep healthy teeth throught their lives. Although some diseases and conditions can make dental disease and tooth loss more likely, most of us have a good deal of control over whether we keep our teeth into old age.

The most important thing you can do to maintain good oral health is to brush and floss your teeth regularly.

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The Most mouth woes are caused by plaque, that sticky layer of microorganisms, food particles and other organic matter that forms on your teeth. Bacteria in plaque produce acids that cause cavities. Plaque also leads to periodontal (gum) disease, a potentially serious infection that can erode bone and destroy the tissues surrounding teeth.

The best defense is to remove plaque daily before it has a chance to build up and cause problems. Brushing removes plaque from the large surfaces of the teeth and, if done correctly, from just under the gums. Flossing removes plaque between teeth.

Brushing
we learn  to brush our teeth when we were children and have kept the same technique throughout our lives. Unfortunately, many of us learned the wrong way. Even if we learned the correct method, it’s easy to become sloppy over the years. Brushing correctly isn’t instinctive. Getting the bristles to remove plaque without damaging your gums is a little trickier than you might think.
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There are different ways to brush teeth, and your dentist or dental hygienist can show you the method that he or she feels would be best for you. The modified Bass technique is among the most popular for adults and is very effective in removing plaque above and just below the gum line. Children, however, may find it difficult to move the toothbrush this way. A dentist or dental hygienist can explain to your child the best way to brush. Parents should supervise their children’s oral hygiene until age 9 or 10.

Some general  points are mentioned below about brushing:-
Brush at least twice a day — Many oral health professionals recommend brushing just before going to bed. When you sleep, saliva decreases, leaving the teeth more vulnerable to bacterial acids. Teeth should also be brushed in the morning, either before or after breakfast, depending on your schedule. After breakfast is ideal so food particles are removed. But if you eat in your car, at work or skip breakfast entirely, make sure you brush in the morning to get rid of the plaque that built up overnight.

Brush no more than three times a day
— Brushing after lunch will give you a good mid-day cleaning. Remember, though, that brushing too often can cause gums to recede over time.

Brush lightly
—Brushing too hard can cause gums to recede. Plaque attaches to teeth like jam sticks to a wooden spoon. It can’t be totally removed by rinsing, but just a light brushing will do the trick. Once plaque has hardened into calculus (tartar), brushing can’t remove it, so brushing harder won’t help. Try holding your toothbrush the same way you hold a pen. This encourages a lighter stroke.

Brush for at least two minutes — Set a timer if you have to, but don’t skimp on brushing time. Longer is fine, but two minutes is the minimum time needed to adequately clean all your teeth. Many people brush for the length of a song on the radio. That acts as a good reminder to brush each tooth thoroughly.

Have a standard routine for brushing — Try to brush your teeth in the same order every day. Some oral health professionals feel that this helps patients remember to brush all areas of their mouths. If you do this routinely, it eventually will become second nature. For example, brush the outer sides of your teeth from left to right across the top then move to the inside and brush rights to left. Repeat the pattern for your lower teeth. Always use a toothbrush with “soft” or “extra soft” bristles — The harder the brush, the greater the risk of harming gum tissue.

Change your toothbrush regularly — As & when the bristles begin to splay, the toothbrush loses its ability to clean properly. Throw away your old toothbrush after three months or when the bristles flare, whichever comes first. If you find your bristles flaring much sooner than three months, you may be brushing too hard.

Try easing up.
Choose a brush that has a seal of approval — Oral health-care professionals say, “It’s not the brush, it’s the brusher,” meaning that the exact type of brush you use isn’t nearly as important as your brushing technique and diligence. Any approved brush will be a good tool, but you have to know how to use it.

Electric is fine, but not always necessary  — Electric or power-assisted toothbrushes are a fine alternative to manual brushes. They are especially useful for people who are less than diligent about proper brushing technique or for people with physical limitations that make brushing difficult. As with manual brushes, choose soft bristles, brush for at least two minutes and don’t press too hard or you’ll damage your gums.
Choose the right toothpaste for you — It can be overwhelming to face the huge number of toothpaste choices in the average supermarket. Remember, the best toothpaste for you may not be the best toothpaste for someone else.
Toothpastes don’t merely clean teeth anymore. Different types have special ingredients for preventing decay, plaque control, tartar control, whitening, gum care or desensitizing teeth.

Most toothpastes on the market today contain fluoride, which has been proven to prevent, stop or even reverse the decay process. Tartar-control toothpastes are useful for people who tend to build up tartar quickly, while someone who gets tooth stains may want a whitening toothpaste. Whitening toothpastes will remove only surface stains, such as those caused by smoking, tea or coffee. To whiten teeth that are stained at a deeper level, talk with your dentist.

Your needs will likely change as you get older, so don’t be surprised if your hygienist recommends a type of toothpaste you haven’t used before. Look for the ADA seal of approval, which assures that the toothpaste has met the standards set by the American Dental Association. Once these conditions are met, choose the toothpaste that tastes and feels best. Gel or paste, wintergreen or spearmint — these work alike, so let personal preference guide your decision.

Some people find that some toothpaste ingredients irritate their teeth, cheeks or lips. If your teeth have become more sensitive or your mouth is irritated after brushing, try changing toothpastes. If the problem continues, see your dentist.

How To Brush

Modified Bass brushing technique:

Hold the head of the toothbrush horizontally against your teeth with the bristles part way on the gums
Tilt the brush head to about a 45-degree angle, so the bristles are pointing under the gum line.

Move the toothbrush in very short horizontal strokes so the tips of the bristles stay in one place, but the head of the brush waggles back and forth
. Or use tiny circular motions. This allows the bristles to slide gently under the gum. Do this for about 20 strokes. This assures that adequate time will be spent cleaning away as much plaque as possible. Note: this is a very gentle motion. In healthy gums, this should cause no pain. Brushing too vigorously or with large strokes can damage gum tissue.

Roll or flick the brush so that the bristles move out from under the gum toward the biting edge of the tooth. This helps move the plaque out from under the gum line.

Repeat for every tooth, so that all tooth surfaces and gum lines are cleaned.
For the insides of your front teeth, where the horizontal brush position is cumbersome, hold the brush vertically instead. Again, use gentle back and forth brushing action and finish with a roll or flick of the brush toward the biting edge.

To clean the biting or chewing surfaces of the teeth, hold the brush so the bristles are straight down on the flat surface of the molars.
Gently move the brush back and forth or in tiny circles to clean the entire surface. Move to a new tooth or area until all teeth are cleaned.
Rinse with water to clear the mouth of food residue and removed plaque.
You can clear even more bacteria out of your mouth by brushing your tongue. With your toothbrush, brush firmly but gently from back to front. Do not go so far back in your mouth that you gag. Rinse again.
Flossing
Many people never learned to floss as children. But flossing is critical to healthy gums and it’s never too late to start. A common rule of thumb says that any difficult new habit becomes second nature after only three weeks. If you have difficulty figuring out what to do, ask your dentist or dental hygienist to give you a personal lesson.

Here are a few general pointers about flossing:...CLICK & SEE
Floss once a day — Although there is no research to recommend an optimum number of times to floss, most dentists recommend a thorough flossing at least once a day. If you tend to get food trapped between teeth, flossing more often can help remove it.

Take your time —
Flossing requires a certain amount of dexterity and thought. Don’t rush.
Choose your own time — Although most people find that just before bed is an ideal time, many oral health professionals recommend flossing any time that is most convenient to ensure that you will continue to floss regularly. Choose a time during the day when you can floss without haste.

Don’t skimp on the floss
—se as much as you need to clean both sides of every tooth with a fresh section of floss. In fact, you may need to floss one tooth several times (using fresh sections of floss) to remove all the food debris. Although there has been no research, some professionals think reusing sections of floss may redistribute bacteria pulled off one tooth onto another tooth.

Choose the type that works best for you — There are many different types of floss: waxed and unwaxed, flavored and unflavored, ribbon and thread. Try different varieties before settling on one. People with teeth that are closely spaced will find that waxed floss slides more easily into the tight space. There are tougher shred-resistant varieties that work well for people with rough edges that tend to catch and rip floss.
How To Floss
How you hold the floss is a matter of personal preference. The most common method is to wind the floss around the middle fingers then pull it taut and guide it with your index fingers. You also can wind it around your index fingers and guide it with your thumb and middle fingers or simply hold the ends of the floss or use a floss-guiding tool. (If you have a fixed bridge, a bridge threader can help guide floss under the bridge for better cleaning.) How you hold the thread is not as important as what you do with it. If you can’t settle in on a good method, ask your dentist or hygienist for suggestions.

Hold the floss so that a short segment is ready to work with.
Guide the floss gently between two teeth. If the fit is tight, use a back-and-forth motion to work the floss through the narrow spot. Do not snap the floss in or you could cut your gums.

Hold the floss around the front and back of one tooth, making it into a “C” shape. This will wrap the floss around the side edge of that tooth.

Gently move the floss toward the base of the tooth and up into the space between the tooth and gum.
Move the floss up and down with light to firm pressure to skim off plaque in that area. Do not press so hard that you injure the gum.
Repeat for all sides of the tooth, including the outermost side of the last tooth. Advance the floss to a clean segment for each tooth edge.
Other Ways To Clean Between The Teeth
Many people have larger spaces between their teeth and need additional tools, called interdental cleaners, to remove food particles and bacterial plaque adequately. You may have larger spaces that need extra care if you have had gum surgery or if you have teeth that are missing or out of alignment.

Small interdental brushes are tiny bristle or filament brushes that can fit between teeth and come in a variety of sizes and handle designs. These brushes clean better than floss when the gum tissue does not completely fill the space between your teeth. These little brushes also can help people with orthodontic bands on their teeth to remove bacterial plaque from around the wires and brackets.

Another tool for cleaning between teeth is wooden interdental cleaners. These long, triangular strips of wood can be softened and used to clean between teeth.

You can find these interdental cleaners at most drugstores and grocery stores. Your dentist or dental hygienist can show you how to use these cleaners to remove plaque between your teeth.

Other Cleaning Tools
To supplement your at-home brushing and flossing, your dentist or hygienist may suggest one or more of the following:

Oral irrigators These electrical devices pump water out in a slim steady or pulsating stream. Although they do not seem to remove plaque that is attached to the tooth well, they are very effective at flushing out food and bacteria byproducts in periodontal pockets or that get caught in orthodontic appliances. They are particularly useful for delivering medication to hard-to-reach areas. For example, prescription antibacterial rinses can be sprayed into gum pockets with an oral irrigator. Irrigators should be used in addition to brushing and flossing, not as an alternative.

Interdental tip — These soft, flexible rubber nibs are used to clean between the teeth and just below the gum line. Plaque and food debris can be removed by gently running the tip along the gum line.

Mouthwashes and rinses — As with toothpaste, your choice of mouthwashes or rinses will be guided by your personal mouth care needs. Over-the-counter rinses are available to freshen the breath, add fluoride or kill plaque bacteria that cause gingivitis. Some mouthwashes are designed to help loosen plaque before you brush. Ask your dentist or hygienist to recommend the type of rinse that would be best for you. If you need to avoid alcohol, read ingredient labels carefully. Many over-the-counter mouthwashes contain significant amounts of alcohol. In some cases, the dentist might prescribe a stronger fluoride or antibacterial rinse.

Source:Colgate World of Care

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Health Alert

Top 10 Facts Your Dentist Wants You to Know

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A lot of people have anxiety about going to the dentist. These dental facts can help put you on the right path to good dental health and avoid having dental problems in the future.
1) Dental Check Ups Include Oral Cancer Screenings:
When you go for your regular dental check up, your dentist and hygienist are also screening you for any signs of oral cancer. Every hour of every day, someone dies of oral cancer in the United States. This serious dental disease which pertains to the mouth, lips or throat is often highly curable if diagnosed and treated in the early stages. Visiting your dentist for regular check ups and avoiding tobacco are the key factors in preventing oral cancer.

2) Gum (Periodontal) Disease Affects Your Overall Health
Gum disease is one of the main causes of tooth loss in adults and has also been linked to heart disease and strokes. If diagnosed in the early stage, gingivitis, can be treated and reversed. If treatment is not received, a more serious and advanced stage of gum disease, called Periodontitis, which includes bone loss may follow. Brushing twice a day, flossing daily, regular dental check ups and cleanings are the best prevention against gum disease.

3) Dental Cleanings and Check Ups are Extremely Important
Going to the dentist for regular check ups & cleanings is one of the most important factors in maintaining good oral health.

Regular check ups can prevent cavities, root canals, gum disease, oral cancer, and other dental conditions. Don’t wait until you have a problem before you see your dentist, help prevent problems before they happen.

4) Brushing Twice a Day Helps to Keep the Cavities Away
When you brush your teeth,properly, at least twice a day, you are removing the plaque that causes cavities. Plaque is the soft and sticky substance that accumulates on the teeth from food debris and bacteria. Flossing daily will remove the plaque from in between the teeth that the toothbrush cannot reach. Removing plaque from your teeth also helps to prevent gum disease.

5) Bad Breath Could be the Result of a Dental Problem
About 85% of people with persistent bad breath have a dental condition that is to blame. If bad breath is the cause of a dental condition, mouthwash will only mask the odor and not cure it. Don’t be embarrassed to talk to your dentist, they are there to help you. Flossing daily and brushing your teeth & tongue twice a day can greatly reduce and possibly eliminate bad breath.

6) Proper Nutrition is Important for Good Dental Health
The sugars from soft drinks and non-nutritional foods combine with the bacteria in our mouths which produces acids that attack tooth enamel. This can lead to cavities and gum disease. Limiting the amount of beverages and foods that are high in sugar can greatly help to maintain good dental health.

7) Dental Problems Do Not Get Better or Go Away Without Treatment
If your dentist gives you a treatment plan for dental work that you need to have done, you should focus on getting your teeth fixed as soon as possible. Even cavities continue to get bigger. If they get big enough to reach the nerve in your tooth, your only options would be to have a root canal or have the tooth extracted.

8) A Root Canal is Usually Not Painful
I can’t tell you how many times I have heard a patient say, “Just pull the tooth, I’ve heard root canals are horrible.” With today’s technology, root canals are nothing like most people think. I have had root canals and I was pleasantly surprised every time. In my opinion, a root canal is as painless as having a filling.

9) You Should Change Your Toothbrush Every 3 Months
Manual toothbrushes become worn out after about 3 months and are not as effective as they once were. If you have gum disease, you should change your toothbrush every 4 – 6 weeks because bacteria can harbor in the bristles. You should always rinse your toothbrush out with hot water after every use and change it after you have been sick.

10) Maintaining Good Dental Health is Easy
Some people think that having good dental health takes too much effort. Seeing your dentist for regular dental check ups and cleanings, brushing twice a day, flossing daily and eating a nutritional diet are the key factors in having healthy teeth and gums. Now, what’s so hard about that?

Source:dentistry.about.com

Categories
Ailmemts & Remedies

Gingivitis

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Introduction
If your gums are swollen, tender and bleed easily when you brush your teeth, you’re not alone — nearly 80 percent of American adults have some form of gum (periodontal) disease. One of the most common of these is gingivitis, which develops when bacteria multiply and build up between your teeth and gums, leading to irritation, inflammation and bleeding. If not treated, gingivitis can progress to more-serious gum diseases, such as periodontitis, and eventually to the destruction of bone and to tooth loss.

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Yet gingivitis is both preventable and treatable. Although factors such as medications and lowered immunity make you more susceptible to gingivitis, the most common cause is poor oral hygiene. Daily brushing and flossing and regular professional cleanings can significantly reduce your risk of developing this potentially serious condition. If you already have gingivitis, professional cleaning can reverse the damage.

Signs and symptoms
Because early-stage gum disease is seldom painful, you can have gingivitis without even knowing it. Often, though, you’re likely to have warning signs such as:

Swollen, soft, red gums.
Gums that bleed easily, even if they’re not sore. Many people first detect a change in their gums when they notice that the bristles of their toothbrush are pink  a sign that gums are bleeding with just slight pressure.
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Causes
Gingivitis begins with plaque. This invisible, sticky film, composed primarily of bacteria, forms on your teeth when starches and sugars in food interact with bacteria normally found in your mouth. Brushing your teeth removes plaque, but it re-forms quickly, usually within 24 hours.

Plaque that stays on your teeth longer than two or three days can harden under your gumline into tartar (calculus), a white substance that makes plaque more difficult to remove and that acts as a reservoir for bacteria. What’s more, you usually can’t get rid of tartar by brushing and flossing    you’ll need a professional cleaning to remove it.

The longer plaque and tartar remain on your teeth, the more they irritate the gingiva, the part of your gum around the base of your teeth. In time, your gums become swollen and bleed easily.

Although plaque is by far the most common cause of gingivitis, other factors can contribute to or aggravate the condition, including:

Drugs. Hundreds of prescription and over-the-counter antidepressants and cold remedies contain ingredients that decrease your body’s production of saliva. Because saliva has a cleansing effect on your teeth and helps inhibit bacterial growth, this means that plaque and tartar can build up more easily.

Other drugs, especially anti-seizure medications, calcium channel blockers and drugs that suppress your immune system, sometimes can lead to an overgrowth of gum tissue (gingival hyperplasia), making plaque much tougher to remove.

Viral and fungal infections. Although bacteria are responsible for most cases of gingivitis, viral and fungal infections also can affect your gums. Acute herpetic gingivostomatitis is an infection caused by the herpes virus that frequently leads to gum inflammation and to small, painful sores throughout your mouth. Oral thrush, which results when a fungus normally found in your mouth grows out of control, causes creamy white lesions on your tongue and inner cheeks. Sometimes these lesions spread to the roof of your mouth, your tonsils and your gums.
Other diseases and conditions. Some health problems not directly associated with your mouth can still affect your gums. People with leukemia may develop gingivitis when leukemic cells invade their gum tissue. Oral lichen planus, a chronic inflammatory disease, and the rare, autoimmune skin diseases pemphigus and pemphigoid can cause gums to become so severely inflamed that they may peel away from the underlying tissue.
Hormonal changes. During pregnancy, your gums are more susceptible to the damaging effects of plaque. The problem is compounded if you have morning sickness — nausea and vomiting may make it hard to brush your teeth regularly.
Poor nutrition. A poor diet, especially one deficient in calcium, vitamin C and B vitamins, can contribute to periodontal disease. Calcium is important because it helps maintain the strength of your bones, including the bones that support your teeth. Vitamin C helps maintain the integrity of connective tissue. It’s also a powerful antioxidant that counters the tissue-destroying effects of free radicals — substances produced when oxygen is metabolized by your body.

Risk factors

Although anyone can develop gingivitis, many people first experience gum problems during puberty and then in varying degrees throughout life. The most common contributing factor is lack of proper oral hygiene, but other factors also can increase your risk, including:

Tobacco use. Cigarettes, cigars, pipe smoking and chewing tobacco all promote the growth of bacteria in your mouth and weaken your immune system, making you more vulnerable to infection. In addition, gingivitis treatments are less likely to be effective if you use tobacco.

Diabetes. If you have diabetes, elevated blood sugar levels can damage many parts of your body — and your mouth is no exception. Diabetes increases your risk of cavities, gingivitis, tooth loss and a variety of infections. It also makes it more likely that you’ll have a dry mouth, which further increases your risk of gum disease.
Decreased immunity. If you have a weakened immune system, you’re more susceptible to infections of all kinds, including gum infections.

When to seek medical advice
Healthy gums are firm and pale pink. If your gums are puffy, dusky red and bleed easily, see your dentist. The sooner you seek care, the better your chances of reversing damage and preventing more-serious problems.

Complications
Untreated gingivitis can progress to periodontitis, a much more serious form of gum disease. Periodontitis can cause tooth loss and may even increase your risk of heart attack and stroke. What’s more, women with periodontitis are far more likely to give birth to premature babies than women with healthy gums are.

Treatment
Your dentist may treat gingivitis in several ways, but the first step is to thoroughly clean your teeth, removing all traces of plaque and tartar — a procedure known as scaling. The cleaning may be uncomfortable, especially if your gums are already sensitive or you have extensive plaque and tartar buildup.

Gingivitis usually clears up after a professional cleaning as long as you continue to follow a program of good oral hygiene at home. Your dentist may recommend using an antiseptic mouth rinse in addition to brushing and flossing.

At first your gums may bleed after brushing, but this usually lasts just a few days. If you persist, you should see pink, healthy gum tissue in a short time. You’ll need to practice good oral hygiene for life, however, so your gum problems don’t return. Because misaligned teeth and poorly fitting crowns and bridges make it harder to remove plaque, your dentist may recommend fixing these problems as well.

You may click to see :Home Remedies for Gingivitis


Prevention

The best way to prevent gingivitis is a program of good dental hygiene, one that you begin early and practice consistently throughout life. That means brushing your teeth at least twice daily  in the morning and before going to bed — and flossing at least once a day. Better yet, brush after every meal or snack or as your dentist recommends. A complete cleaning with a toothbrush and floss should take three to five minutes. Flossing before you brush allows you to clean away the loosened food particles and bacteria.

In addition, follow these tips to keep your gums and your children’s gums healthy. Children as young as 6 can develop gingivitis.

Choose the right toothbrush. Select a toothbrush with soft, end-rounded or polished bristles — stiff or hard bristles are more likely to injure your gums. The size and shape of the brush should allow you to reach every tooth. Remember that only the tips of the brush do the cleaning so there’s no need to exert extra pressure. Replace your brush every three to four months or even more often. If the bristles are splayed, you’ve waited too long.

Consider investing in an electric toothbrush with rotating or vibrating bristles. Studies have shown these types of toothbrushes to be more effective at removing plaque and maintaining healthy gum tissue than are manual brushes.

Brush as if your teeth depended on it. Brushing doesn’t do much good if you don’t do it correctly. Here’s what works: To clean outer surfaces of your teeth and gums, use short, back-and-forth, and then up-and-down strokes. Use vertical strokes to clean inner surfaces. To clean the junction between your teeth and gums, hold your brush at a 45-degree angle to your teeth.
Floss. If you’re like most people, this is the part of oral care you tend to ignore. It’s true that flossing is a tedious job, which may be why most dentists find their patients don’t floss regularly. But flossing is the most effective way to remove plaque and food particles from between your teeth, where toothbrush bristles can’t reach.

To make sure that all the effort you put into flossing is rewarded, be sure you do it correctly. Here’s the drill: Use about 18 inches of waxed or unwaxed floss. Hold the floss taut and bent around each tooth in a C shape, scraping up and down each side of each tooth. Each stroke should go slightly below your gumline until you feel resistance. Flossing removes plaque between your teeth and helps massage your gums.

Pay attention to the brushing action, not the type of toothpaste. Some toothpastes claim to remove plaque and tartar or to kill the bacteria that cause plaque. The truth is that all toothpastes, including natural ones without additives of any kind, remove plaque if you brush properly. And no product can remove tartar below your gumline, although anti-tartar or tartar control toothpastes can help prevent tartar from building up on your teeth. The bottom line? When used properly, inexpensive fluoride toothpastes remove plaque just as thoroughly as specialty toothpastes — it’s the brushing action, not the toothpaste, that removes plaque.

See your dentist. In addition to daily brushing and flossing, see your dentist or hygienist for regular checkups and cleanings.

Complementary and alternative medicine
Because nutrition plays a major role in oral health, many complementary and alternative therapies focus on supplying your body with certain nutrients. Some of these include:

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10, ubiquinone). This substance, which occurs naturally in your body and in a wide variety of foods, plays a key role in the production of cellular energy. It’s also a powerful antioxidant — many times more potent than vitamin C. Researchers have studied the potential effect of CoQ10 on a number of conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease and periodontal disease. Among other findings, CoQ10 applied to pockets of diseased gum tissue appears to reduce infection, but no studies have measured the effectiveness of oral CoQ10. You can purchase CoQ10 supplements at natural foods stores and some pharmacies. Look for oil-based capsules, which are far better absorbed and utilized than dry capsules are.


Vitamin C.
A potent antioxidant and major player in the synthesis of collagen, vitamin C is essential for healthy gums. Many fruits and vegetables, including citrus fruits, berries, cantaloupe, broccoli and spinach, are rich sources of vitamin C, and most natural foods stores and pharmacies carry vitamin C supplements. Whether you get Vitamin C from food or supplements, many dentists suggest getting at least 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C a day to help treat and prevent periodontal disease.
Grapefruit seed extract. This natural extract has proven antibiotic qualities. Some people suggest adding a drop to your regular toothpaste every time you brush. Look for grapefruit seed extract in natural foods stores or online.
Cranberries. They’re not just for Thanksgiving anymore. Long known as a treatment for urinary tract infections, cranberries and cranberry juice work by preventing bacteria from adhering to cells that line the bladder. Now it appears that cranberries may also keep bacteria from sticking to your teeth and gums. Unfortunately, most cranberry products have sugar added, which can undo the beneficial dental effects. Look for products sweetened with other fruits or fruit juices rather than with sugar. Suggested dose is 3 ounces of juice or six cranberry tablets daily. If you have a tendency to kidney stones or are taking the blood thinner warfarin, talk with your doctor before starting on a cranberry regimen.

 

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.

Resources:

MayoClinic.com

http://www.onlinedentist.org/gums-diseases/clinical-stages-of-gum-diseases-gingivitis

http://www.umm.edu/patiented/articles/gingivitis_000173.htm

http://www.voteshabazz08.org/category/gingivitis

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