Gum disease is a disorder of the tissue that surrounds and supports your teeth. Preventing gum disease involves good oral hygiene, strengthening your oral microbiome, reducing stress levels, and dietary changes.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 40% of US adults are impacted by gum disease. Some people are in the early stages, called gingivitis, and others have the advanced form of gum disease called periodontitis.
Below, we’ll focus on the most effective ways to prevent gum disease before it becomes a problem. If you already show early signs of gum disease, check out our article on naturally treating gingivitis.
Your oral health is proven to impact your whole body health and vice versa. Learn about the Mouth-Body Connection with my best-selling book on holistic health.
1. Maintain Good Oral Hygiene
You need to maintain good oral hygiene with a killer oral hygiene routine. You should follow your routine every day without exception to prevent gum disease. Here are the basics of what you should do to keep your mouth healthy:
- Brush your teeth twice a day. Angle the brush head 45° towards your gum line to get the buildup of plaque hiding under your gum line. Brush before breakfast so you don’t rub food particles and acids into your teeth and gums.
- Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to avoid eroding your enamel. Medium or hard bristles are more likely to make your gums bleed.
- Floss before you brush to most effectively remove interdental plaque, which is a leading cause of gum disease.
- Use a natural toothpaste that supports the oral microbiome. Conventional toothpastes kill good bacteria in your mouth and lead to other systemic health issues. Revitin is a prebiotic toothpaste that supports the microbial balance in your oral cavity, decreasing your risk of developing gum disease.
Try Revitin, the world’s first toothpaste designed to support a healthy oral microbiome.
2. Get Regular Dental Checkups
Regular visits to the dentist, dental hygienist, or periodontist are vital because they offer several important benefits, including:
- Cleaning hard-to-clean areas: Dental cleanings get rid of hard-to-reach plaque and tartar that is almost impossible to clean at home. Untreated plaque and tartar are primary risk factors for gum disease.
- Identifying early warning signs: Dentists and dental assistants can spot early signs of gum disease better than patients can. When they notice warning signs, they can react with targeted treatments and oral health advice.
- Incentivizing oral hygiene: People who don’t go to the dentist tend to care about their oral health less than those who do go. Regularly going to the dentist gives you an extra, external incentive to take care of your gum health and prevent gingivitis.
3. Eat Specific Foods
Dental plaque feeds on carbohydrates, such as food particles from sugars and starches, which then release acids that cause tooth decay and gingivitis. The easiest way to prevent gum disease through diet is to avoid all sugars and starches.
Since that isn’t the most practical approach, we encourage making manageable dietary changes in addition to other oral health practices.
Support healthy gums and teeth with these foods:
- Crunchy fruits and veggies, which promote saliva production
- Dark leafy greens, rich in vitamin B
- Nuts and seeds, rich in vitamin B and vitamin D
- Fatty fish, rich in anti-inflammatory omega-3s
- Green tea, full of anti-inflammatory polyphenols
Avoid or limit these foods to prevent gum disease:
- Sticky food, such as dried fruits, caramel, and chewy candies
- Sugary sodas
- Acidic food and drinks
- Potato chips and tortilla chips
- Pasta and bread
- Cake and candy
Learn More: A Comprehensive Guide to Nutrition & Oral Health
4. Rinse With Mouthwash
Do not use alcohol-based mouthwash or any antibacterial mouth rinse. Instead, use an all-natural mouthwash that does not kill the good bacteria in your oral microbiome or dry out your mouth.
A recent study offers this guidance: “…avoid alcohol-containing mouthwashes because they cause profound drying of the oral mucosa.” Dry mouth is associated with a higher incidence of gum disease.
Here are healthy mouthwash alternatives for gum disease prevention:
- Oil pulling with coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil
- Folic acid-containing mouthwash
- Rinsing with plain water (after meals, when you wake up, before you sleep)
5. Quit Smoking
Smoking tobacco or vaping is deleterious to your overall health, but particularly harmful to your oral health. Smoking increases the incidence of gum disease by 85%. Vaping significantly increases the risk of periodontal disease, but less than traditional smoking.
The mechanism of action is unclear, but a primary suspect is the disruption of the gingival microbiota — in other words, the beneficial bacteria along your gum line. In fact, flavored e-cigarettes have been shown to be worse for your gum health because of the flavoring’s impact on your gum microbiome.
Additionally, smoking inhibits epithelial cell growth along your gums. Simply put, smoking may directly recede your gums at a cellular level, apart from plaque’s effect on the gums.
Quit smoking to prevent advanced gum disease, as well as cancer and other systemic complications.
6. Reduce Stress
A significant relationship exists between psychological stress and periodontal disease. If you want to prevent gum disease, stress management is vital.
Research shows that stress may indirectly impact gum health via associated behaviors such as increased smoking and drinking, disruption of your oral hygiene routine, and poor dietary choices.
The same research indicates a direct causal link between stress and gum disease, due to psychological stress’s impact on blood flow to the gums, salivation disruption, hormonal changes, and immune system dysfunction.
Stress even reduces the effectiveness of periodontal disease treatments. All in all, if you avoid chronic stress, gum disease is less likely.
7. Take Certain Supplements
Certain dietary supplements can support gingival health and prevent gum disease:
- Vitamin C reinforces connective soft tissues in the gums and famously prevents scurvy. It is vital to periodontal and immune health.
- Folic acid reduces gum inflammation and helps gingival cells defend against pathogens.
- Vitamin D reduces inflammation and mitigates gum disease.
- Vitamin A promotes saliva production to reduce the risk of periodontitis.
- Potassium levels in a healthy range indicate the balance of your gingival microbiome.
- Zinc is “important for maintaining periodontal health” because of its effect on gum tissues.
- Calcium is especially good for your teeth, but it also reduces the risk and severity of gum disease.
Read More: Vitamins for a Healthy Mouth
When to See a Dentist
Instead of preventive measures, you should seek immediate attention from a dentist or periodontist if you notice the following severe symptoms of gum disease:
- Persistent bad breath or bad taste in your mouth
- Persistent red or swollen gums
- Easily bleeding gums
- Receding gums, teeth appearing longer, or exposed tooth roots
- Loose teeth or tooth loss
- Pain when chewing
- Puss in between the teeth and gums
- Changes in the bite or fit of dentures
- Sores inside your mouth that just won’t heal
FAQs
What are the early signs of gum disease?
The early signs of gum disease include irritated gums, bleeding gums, a receding gum line, and tooth sensitivity. Good oral hygiene and a healthy diet should prevent these signs.
Is gum disease curable?
Early gum disease (gingivitis) is curable with proper disease management and strengthening of the oral microbiome. Advanced gum disease (periodontitis) is typically irreversible but manageable with proper oral hygiene and dental visits.
What is gingivitis?
Gingivitis is the earliest stage of gum disease, characterized by gums that recede, bleed, and get irritated, but not as much as later stages. Gingivitis is very common and very treatable, as long as you catch it early. (Regular dental visits help catch gingivitis before it becomes a problem.)
What are treatments for receding gums?
The best treatments for receding gums are improved oral hygiene and strengthening your oral microbiome to support your mouth’s natural ability to fight receding gums. Minor tissue regeneration may be possible with certain supplements and natural healing.
Conventional treatments for receding gums include scaling and root planing, gum grafting, and silicone gum veneers.
Understanding the Mouth-Body Connection
Gum health is well-understood to impact heart health and vice versa, but there is so much more to your mouth-body connection. To support healthy gums and overall wellness, visit a biologic dentist for a natural, professional cleaning and holistic, preventive dental care.
Dr. Gerry Curatola is the nation’s leading biologic dentist, author, and inventor of the best prebiotic toothpaste on the market. Dr. Curatola sees patients at his NYC dental practice. Schedule an appointment today!
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