What To Do While You Wait For Periodontal Disease Treatment
Periodontal disease is a serious condition that can put your teeth at risk of falling out, in addition to exposing you to the dangers of having a long-term infection in your gums. If you've been told that you have this condition and are planning to come into the dentist's office to have a full dental scaling to improve the health of your gums, that doesn't mean that you can't do anything to improve your situation in the meantime. Try these tips to keep your gums as healthy as possible until you visit the dentist.
Cut Back on Sugar
Most people with periodontal disease will have something called periodontal pockets. This is essentially a problem where the gums gap away from the teeth, allowing foreign substances to get to the lower parts of the teeth and inside the gums. This is a major problem since it allows bacteria to go wherever it likes.
Cutting down on the sugar you eat can help to keep this problem controlled while waiting for an appointment. Sugar feeds the bacteria, which allows it to proliferate more quickly and spread more easily. By effectively starving the bacteria, you can slow their growth and reduce the risk of your mouth getting worse before you get help.
Avoid Acid
Acid found in fruits and beverages can be a problem for teeth in general, but if you have periodontal disease, it's even worse.
When periodontal disease develops, the gums tend to gap or pull away from the teeth entirely with a condition called receding gums. When this happens, parts of your teeth are exposed that aren't protected by enamel. Without enamel, your teeth are susceptible to all kinds of damage, and any acid you drink or eat will harm the dentin of your teeth. Try to avoid fruits, acidic beverages, and things like tomato sauce until you've gotten treated.
Be Gentle
Finally, be gentle with your mouth. It's easy to feel like brushing vigorously will help, but it's quite the opposite. If your gums are already in poor shape and parts of your teeth are exposed that wouldn't ordinarily be, you could seriously hurt yourself by brushing too aggressively. Use light strokes, be gentle, and use circular motions to get the most debris, plaque, and bacteria off your teeth and gums without hurting yourself.
If you already have an appointment to see your dentist, all you need to do is follow these tips and wait. If you haven't made one yet, don't delay. Your teeth and gums can get worse without help, and these tips won't prevent further damage forever.
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