Nearly one in two adults over the age of 30 has gum disease. Here are 7+ ways to prevent gum disease and how to start reversing and healing it.
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How to Prevent Gum Disease and Heal Your Gums
Nearly 1 in 2 adults over the age of 30 has some form of gum disease. If you’re over 64, your chances of developing gum disease increase to 70.1%.
Signs of gum disease include swollen gums, bad breath, bleeding or receding gums, and loose teeth.
These symptoms are so common that most of us don’t even equate them with gum disease. We just treat them as a routine in our mouths and go on with our daily brushing routine.
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But if brushing our teeth is at all effective in preventing gum disease, do half or more of us suffer from gingivitis or periodontitis every day? In fact, even brushing twice a day doesn’t always prevent gum disease when other factors, such as smoking or an unhealthy gut microbiome, are at play.
So, if you don’t have gum disease, what can you do to keep your gums healthy? If so, what steps can you take to start healing your gums?
Gum Disease Basics
How did you get gum disease (aka periodontal disease)? It starts with bacteria in the mouth, which form a sticky film called plaque around the teeth and gums.
If plaque is not removed daily, it hardens and turns into tartar.
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Plaque, tartar, and built-up bacteria can irritate and inflame the gums. This is called gingivitis – the early stage of gum disease.
When plaque and tartar start to form below the gum line, your problem has developed into periodontitis – advanced gum disease. The bacterial infection spreads and damages the gums, teeth and bone structure. This can cause tooth loss.
Preventing Gum Disease and Treating Gums
It probably won’t surprise you to learn that there is a link between physical health and oral health. Gum disease doesn’t happen in a vacuum.
In fact, a recent study found that adults with periodontitis were twice as likely to develop high blood pressure as adults without severe gum disease.
Another study exploring how treating gum disease affects chronic systemic disease looked at 338,891 individuals with both gum disease and other systemic diseases, including cerebrovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes . (They also included pregnant women in this group to see if treating gum disease would help prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes.) It’s worth noting that the researchers specifically looked for people with chronic medical conditions to participate in the study—however, it’s hard to ignore the fact that Online, they were able to find so many people with underlying chronic conditions who also happened to have gum disease.
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Of course, your diet also has a lot to do with your oral health. If you eat a lot of acidic, sugary foods, you can develop problems with your teeth and gums. When you stop eating processed foods, eliminate gum-damaging behaviors like smoking, and improve your oral health with antimicrobial measures like oil pulling, your gums will begin to heal.
8 Foods That Cause Gum Disease
The following foods can lead to increased acidity in the body, which can promote gum disease. Avoiding or limiting them can help prevent gum disease altogether, or help prevent it from developing if you’re already dealing with it:
- Grains (unmalted or unfermented)
- hydrogenated oil
- sugar
- Some dairy products (low-fat yogurt, cheese)
- manufactured food
- Some fish (canned tuna, trout)
- Processed and fatty meats, such as salami, hot dogs, and corned beef
- Sodas, sweetened drinks, and juices
5 Foods That Can Help Prevent Gum Disease
The following foods can be your allies in the fight against periodontal disease. Eating them regularly can help prevent gum disease and may also help gums heal:
- Wild caught fish (salmon, mackerel, and sardines/omega-3 rich fish)
- fresh vegetable juice (helps reduce inflammation in the body)
- Chewing gum with xylitol (Xylitol helps keep bacteria from growing.)
- raw vegetables and apples (to clean teeth naturally)
- Foods rich in fat-soluble vitamins (raw milk, coconut, beef liver, bone broth, grass-fed meat)
6 Ways to Help Heal and Prevent Gum Disease
- do not smoke. According to the Centers for Disease Control, smokers are twice as likely to develop gum disease than non-smokers. The longer you smoke, the greater your risk of developing gum disease. Conversely, when you stop smoking, your gums will be better able to start healing.
- eat garlic. Allicin in garlic helps fight harmful bacteria that cause tooth decay. Studies show that garlic extract holds promise against gum disease (in addition to generally boosting the immune system), so eating garlic regularly can help support gum health!
- Check your gut. According to Dr. Steven Lin, a functional dentist who focuses on the connection between oral health and the health of the rest of the body, there is a link between chronic digestive issues and gum disease, and healing the gut can help heal the gums.
- oil pull. Research shows that oil pulling with anti-inflammatory oils like coconut oil and sesame oil can help reduce plaque, improve gum health, and reduce bad bacteria in your mouth.
- dental floss. Flossing helps remove bacteria that cause gum disease in hard-to-reach places. In fact, flossing twice a day has been shown to reduce signs of gum disease by more than 40% in just two weeks.
- Use a high-quality tooth powder. A year-long study found that while commercially available toothpaste was clinically effective, tooth powder consisting of calcium carbonate and essential oils “was more effective than toothpaste at controlling foreign stains, plaque and gum inflammation “. It’s important to note that many modern tooth powder formulations use sodium carbonate (baking soda) interchangeably with calcium carbonate.
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Homemade Natural Tooth Powder
Combine all ingredients in a non-metal bowl. Store powder in a pint-sized glass jar. If you’re going to dip your toothbrush in, use one jar per family member.
use: wet your toothbrush Dip the homemade powder in hot water. Brush for at least 2 minutes. Rinse with cool water. This powder can be used daily and is good for both children and adults.
If toothpaste is more your thing, here’s Natural Toothpaste Recipe.
Now, I’ve easily replaced store-bought toothpaste with TGN’s DIY Better Than Toothpaste Toothpaste Kit! Click here to learn more!
What do you think?
What’s your favorite way to care for your teeth? Let us know in the comments below!
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resource
Natural remedies and causes of gum disease. Dr. Akers.
Cure gum disease in a week or less. Nature News.
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This is an updated version of an article originally published on August 17, 2017. Authors may not be able to respond to comments at this time, but we encourage members of our community to get involved to share their experiences and answer questions!
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