7 Ways To Give Your Gums A Healthy Boost

Great teeth and gums are integral to an unforgettable smile, and since we are mainly visible from the chest up on teleconferences, they are front and centre of our beauty look.  In COVID-19 times, when it may be difficult to visit the dentist what can we do at home to keep our smiles and our gums in top form? 

The question is close to my heart (and mouth) for two reasons. First, thanks to my mother I have a genetic oddity which is that several of my teeth are milk ones.  Yes, I am in mid-forties and I still have teeth from when I was a baby. If I lose the milk teeth, I will have to pay for crowns; and since I am not rich, I will brush and floss like a champion to stave off this expense.

Second, when I was teenager, I developed gum disease because I did not brush or floss properly. The disease progressed to the point that I required surgery; and since I am not rich, and I hate surgery, I will brush and floss like a champion to prevent further damage to my gums.

WHY GUM HEALTH IS SO IMPORTANT

Gum disease aka periodontal disease, isn’t just confined to the mouth. Unhealthy gums can lead to long lasting debilitating illnesses throughout the body. When the gums and teeth aren’t cleaned regularly and go through rudimentary checkups it can lead to all sorts of troubling problems for the body. Those who have periodontal disease can be at a higher risk for:

*Cardiovascular disease such as diabetes

*Chronic respiratory disease

*Complications during pregnancy

*Dementia

This is why even hough the gums can easily be looked as an after thought, when we are all so closely focused on our teeth, it’s important to understand that healthy gums is an integral part of our overall health and wellness picture.

I know I’m stating the obvious here, but it’s worth repeating the three key steps to get your smiles and your gums on the right track:

1. Floss daily
2. Visit the dentist twice yearly (at a minimum)
3. Brush twice daily (at least)

The trick to having a great smile is to optimize your natural enamel colour by cleaning your teeth properly on a regular basis and caring for your gums.

RINSE AND REPEAT …

Our enamel, which is the covering of the teeth, can vary in shades from off white, light cream, ecru, to grey. The colour depends on our genetics, our cleaning habits and underlying health conditions. Regarding cleaning habits, if you drink coffee, chai, juice and/or wine regularly, the colour of these drinks’ stain, and inevitably darken the enamel. Since drinks such as coffee and chai are acidic which temporarily weakens enamel, it is best to rinse your mouth out with water or mouth wash after consumption. I prefer a minty, brightening mouthwash such as Colgate Optic White Advanced Whitening Mouthwash because it diminishes the scent of espresso and I noticed that my teeth look brighter after consistent, daily use.

BRUSHING — THE TIPS AND THE TOOLS

Rinsing is but one method to clean teeth on the path to a brighter smile. Brushing regularly is imperative because it removes particles of food which would otherwise stick to the gum line and fester. The food becomes akin to garbage along the gum line, starting off as colourless plaque and then becoming the sticky white stuff that is called tartar; over time the sticky white can turn yellow. The first step is to master the brushing technique and I suggest that you either ask a dental professional to teach you and if one is not accessible, visit the Canadian Dental Association website.

The tools are also important to brushing and I have noticed that there are about as many models of toothbrushes and toothpastes as there are people. Based on my experience, I like to use an electric toothbrush because its high-speed pulses remove plaque effectively and the small head permits me to easily access the teeth located at the back of the mouth. Traditionally, electric toothbrushes have been expensive, but I was delighted to discover the Life Brand Travel Sonic USB Rechargeable Power Toothbrush (available in Shoppers Drugmart/ Pharmaparix, online in 2021). This tiny but mighty tool strokes 24,000 times per minute, has a convenient travel cap, and can be charged using your USB charger.  It is a great introductory tool to the world of electric toothbrushes.

If you are looking to upgrade your electric toothbrush scene, then I suggest the Oral B i07 Electric Toothbrush, because it contains a Smart Pressure Sensor that warns you if you are pressing too hard.

FOCUS ON THE GUMS 

This feature is important because one of the reasons why I required gum surgery was due to the excessive pressure that I exerted while I brushed my teeth.  Additionally, it has an interactive guide that helps you brush properly and optimize the time you spend on this activity. The upfront cost is on the pricier side but since I switched to electric, my buccal health improved, and I am not even looking at tiaras, let alone crowns.

Toothpaste is probably the best part of brushing one’s teeth. As a child I was chuffed when I used Aim toothpaste because it was a multicoloured gel and tasted good (I admit that I did eat toothpaste in my single digit years). As an adult who possesses a mouthful of baby teeth, I admit that I still love toothpaste. I look for ones that are slightly abrasive to ensure that I am removing the stains at the surface level. A common ingredient that is gentle scrubber is hydrated silica, and it is found in Marvis Whitening Mint.  I love the texture because when it emulsifies it is somewhat frothy; the mint karate chops through sabzi baghan; and my teeth look instantly brighter.

There is a trend to include charcoal in dental products. In Ayurveda, activated charcoal is recognised for its ability to draw out toxins and in South Asia it has been used to clean teeth.  However, it is an abrasive ingredient and I suggest that you approach it with caution. The enamel is a strong but thin tooth cover so be wary of using ingredients that weaken this essential layer of protection

FLOSSING — STOP SKIPPING IT! 

Flossing is when you clean between the teeth, and it is essential because heathy gums make for strong teeth and a great smile. I previously mentioned my gum disease and a major problem was that I did not floss. I noticed that my teeth looked bright but at the gum line I had a line of yellow which turned out to be accumulated tartar. After an intense cleaning session with the dentist I was taught how to floss. If you want some helpful tips on how to floss, visit the Canadian Dental Association website.

If you do not floss, you are leaving up to a third of your teeth uncleaned and vulnerable to bacterial accumulation which irritates the gums; causes bad breath; and diminishes the quality of the smile. For many years, I used a basic one such as Life Brand Dental Floss on a nightly basis, and it helped my teeth and gums to regain their health, and I felt confident when I smiled. In fact, I still carry one in my handbag and keep one at work, because I am conscious of how even the flash of a mere poppy seed can besmirch a great smile.

After many years of dedicated brushing and flossing, even my A-game was insufficient to tame the scourge of gum issues. A couple of summers ago I had an abscess that was painful, and part of the issue was that bacteria had travelled into my gum line and settled above one of my beloved baby teeth. After some discussion with my dentist, I obtained a Water Pik Water Flosser Cordless Plus which uses a tiny rod to propel water along the gum line and turf the bacteria and plaque.  Since I started using the Water Pik, my dental cleaning sessions have been shorter because there is less tartar build-up.

Another alternative to cleaning between the teeth is using an interdental toothbrush such as the GUM™ Proxabrush™ Go-between™ Cleaners (different sizes are available to accommodate the spacing between teeth).  It resembles a tapered pipe cleaner, whose bristles fold inward when you gently insert the head between a pair of teeth.  Once the brush is inserted slide the brush along one side of the tooth, gently retract it, rinse it if there is debris, and then re-insert to clean the other tooth.  Always make sure to clean the brush after you have finished cleaning all of your teeth.

If your gums are particularly sensitive, and cleaning them is painful, consider the Sulcabrush.  This model is designed to placed flush against the gum line and then you gently trace the brush along same, taking an extra moment to make a circular motion between the teeth.  I suggest that you rinse the brush after each tooth to ensure that you do re-deposit the debris on another tooth.

If you wish to add more TLC to your buccal routine, I read that in Ayurveda it is suggested that after cleaning the teeth, that you should massage sesame oil on the teeth and gums.  It is supposed reduce bacteria and prevent plaque build-up.

A BRIGHT SMILE IS MADE OF MANY LIGHTS

Great teeth require a disciplined approach to buccal hygiene. Your dentist should be your chief guide, as he/she can recommend techniques and products that suit your gum and teeth. What you can do at home is engage in daily, proper cleanings executed with effective tools to create a healthy environment in which gums are strong and support teeth. Remember that teeth that resemble white marble are not necessarily suited to your skin tone because enamel shades vary between people and even within the mouth.  Consequently, it is productive and realistic to focus on minimizing stains and keeping gums in the pink of health. Once you have mastered how to take care of your teeth and gums, the healthy, shiny smile is the next step.

Main image Photo Credit: www.pexels.com, www.gumbrand.com