If you’re thinking about improving the look of your smile by straightening your teeth, you’ve come to the right place! EZ SMILE has one mission: to enhance our client’s confidence with healthy, straight teeth in the most affordable and convenient manner.
Often, our clients will ask us how they can get straight teeth. However, an important consideration before investing in clear aligners is your gum health. As such, if you’re suffering from poor gum health, you should be considering how to make your teeth and gums healthy again before purchasing your new set of clear aligners.
Unattractive or crooked teeth can actually be the direct result of poor teeth and gum health. Whilst at EZ SMILE, our focus is on straightening the teeth, you need to have healthy gums and teeth before you can focus on surface-level results. If you’re thinking about improving your teeth with EZ SMILE, you should consider first how to make your teeth and gums healthy again. There are several negative health impacts of poor teeth and gum health that should be the priority.
This article will outline; the symptoms of bad teeth and gum health, how healthy & strong gums and teeth should look, and how to make your teeth and gums healthy again.
How Do You Know If Your Teeth and Gums Are Not Healthy?
Whether you’re searching for tips on how to make your teeth and gums healthy again or want to improve the look of your teeth, the first thing you must consider is whether your teeth and gums are healthy or not.
So, what are the symptoms of poor oral health? We’ll outline some of the common signs below.
Symptoms of Poor Gum Health:
- Bad breath: have you ever brushed your teeth after every meal and still tasted bad breath? That’s the first sign that your teeth and gums might not be healthy.
- Swollen, tender or red gums: That’s your gums way of telling you that something isn’t right.
- Bleeding: gums that bleed when you floss or brush your teeth.
- Receding gum line: unfortunately, it’s not only a problem that affects hair. If your teeth appear to be longer or you can see that your gum line is pulling away from your teeth, you are likely to have a problem with your gums.
- Sensitive teeth: it’s not just a problem that impacts the teeth themselves! Sensitive teeth can be caused by poor gum health too.
- Loose teeth.
- Pain when chewing: gum sensitivity when you’re chewing.
Symptoms of Poor Teeth Health:
- Tooth pain or discomfort.
- Ulcers or sores in the mouth that don’t heal within an expected timeframe (around one week).
- Bad breath that won’t go away, no matter how often or vigorously you brush your teeth.
- A frequent dry mouth is an unexpected symptom that there might be something wrong with your teeth.
- Swelling: a swollen face or cheek is a sure indication there’s something not right!
- Loose teeth: wobbly teeth should only occur in children.
- Sudden onset of teeth sensitivity.
- Pain when chewing or biting.
- Bleeding and swelling after brushing or flossing teeth.
- Several factors can cause poor teeth and gum health; a bad diet, substandard oral hygiene (ineffective flossing and brushing), diabetes, malnutrition, some medications, genetics, chronic diseases and tobacco use. If you’re experiencing one or more of these symptoms, rather than worrying about how to straighten your teeth, you should be visiting your local dentist. While we provide expert clear aligner treatment, it’s important to talk and see your dentist to discuss poor oral and gum health.
- EZ SMILE have provided an outline on how to get healthy gums and teeth if you’re someone who has been experiencing the symptoms of poor oral health, based on the Australian Dental Association’s recommendations.
What Do Healthy, Strong Gums and Teeth Look Like?
- Before discussing how to get healthy teeth and gums, we should first consider how healthy and strong gums and teeth should look. The good news is that there are numerous ways to strengthen gums and teeth. The ADA regularly provides fantastic resources for how to make your teeth and gums healthy again.
- Healthy teeth will be aligned, similar in colour and will feature no cavities. Healthy gums should be light to dark pink. Gums should be firm without any swelling or redness. There are a few ways to strengthen gums that are not healthy, which we will discuss next.
How to Make Your Teeth and Gums Healthy Again
Talk to any dentist, and they’ll say the same thing; you need to consider how to get healthy teeth and gums before investing in cosmetic dentistry; including clear aligners. Here are some tips on making your teeth and gums healthy again.
1. Brush Your Teeth Twice a Day
here’s no doubt about it; brushing your teeth is the simplest and most effective way of ensuring healthy teeth and gums. Qualified dentists recommend brushing your teeth for at least two minutes, twice a day. As well as focussing on brushing the teeth themselves, focus on the gumline and areas you might have had a filling or other restoration.
Use short, gentle brush strokes at a 45-degree angle when brushing your teeth for best results. Be sure to regularly change your toothbrush, as blunt bristles are ineffective at removing the plaque build-up on your teeth. Dental experts recommend changing your toothbrush once every three months, or when signs of wear start to appear (blunt bristles).
2. Select a Good Toothpaste
We are lucky to have a selection of great kinds of toothpaste available at our fingertips. Your dentist will likely recommend selecting a toothpaste that will help you combat problem areas or enhance aspects of your teeth or gums that require attention. For example, if you’re self-conscious about yellowing teeth, you may be recommended a toothpaste that has whitening agents. If you’re worried about bad breath, select a toothpaste that targets bacteria causing bad breath and be sure to clean your tongue with it as well. If in doubt, consult your local dentist for their recommendations on the best toothpaste for your requirements.
3. Floss Every Day
Flossing is an essential element of a good dental routine. Flossing is important because it cleans between the teeth in hard-to-reach cavities where plaque and other bacteria can build up.
4. Use Mouthwash
Mouthwashes that contain fluoride are an excellent way to prevent tooth decay and get healthy gums. Although mouthwashes should contain fluoride, using mouthwash immediately after brushing can remove the fluoride residue that toothpaste leaves which will sink into the tooth enamel gradually.
For the best results when it comes to mouthwash, use it between brushes, for example, at lunchtime. Not only will it allow the toothpaste to work its magic throughout the morning, but you’ll have fresh breath for the rest of the day.
5. Maintain a Healthy Diet
If you have a terrible diet and wonder how to make your teeth and gums healthy again, start here! Food and drink that are high in sugar can cause gum disease and tooth decay. Maintaining a healthy diet is suitable for a balanced lifestyle overall, and it’s one of the numerous ways to strengthen gums.
6. Quit Smoking
Analysis of the Australian National Survey of Adult Health suggests that 32% of moderate to severe gum disease is due to smoking. This extrapolates to an estimated 700,000 Australian adults affected by periodontitis due to smoking. If you’re currently a smoker, you can get healthy gums by quitting. Smoking causes plaque and tartar to build up in the teeth, so oral bacteria is more likely to stick to gums and teeth.
7. Keep on top of your Dental Appointments
Let’s be honest; if you’re someone who genuinely looks forward to going to the dentist, you can count yourself lucky. For most of us, going to the dentist can be a daunting experience. However, regular dental check-ups will keep you informed on how to make your teeth and gums healthy and detect and prevent issues like plaque build-up that can cause more severe problems when left unattended. Our top tip for keeping on top of appointments is to set the next dentist visit as soon as you come out of your last one. That way, you’re locked in and committed from the onset.
Conclusion
At EZ SMILE, we believe that impeccable dental hygiene is the key component to maintaining a healthy-looking smile. Those that are considering how to make your teeth and gums healthy again are already on the path to achieving an attractive smile that radiates confidence.
If you have been suffering from poor dental hygiene symptoms, you should now be an expert on how to make your teeth and gums healthy. Before reaching out to the EZ SMILE team about improving the look of your smile, be sure to implement the healthy dental habits listed above and visit your local dentist.
If you think you know how to make your teeth and gums healthy again or already have excellent oral health, you might be ready to freshen up your smile. We’ll custom design your clear aligners to provide a fast, convenient and cost-effective way to straighten your healthy smile. Take our 30-second assessment to see if you’re eligible for clear aligners and we’ll help you achieve the confident smile you seek.