Your gums are crucial to keeping healthy in order to maintain good tooth health. Your gums are your teeth’ home. An unhappy gum will cause pain and inflammation, which can affect your teeth. Keeping a close eye on your gums is important to prevent disease and decay. Here is more on how to monitor your gum health. 

Regular checkups

Regular dentist checkups are useful for keeping on top of your oral health. The dentist knows best after all, and practices like Sunrise Dental Studio will work to monitor your gum health to ensure no future issues will occur. If they do notice any issues, your dentist will tell you and advise you on what to do. If it is minor, suggestions may be to reduce your sugar intake or eat more anti-inflammatory foods. Routine checks are great for ensuring your oral hygiene is at the top of its game. 

Check the color 

Healthy gums are pink in color. They should be firm and hold your teeth securely in place. If you ever notice a change in color or firmness, you should contact your dentist. Even a wobbly tooth may be a sign of poor gum health. Soft tissues are often a sign of infection and should be seen immediately to avoid future issues. 

Notice bad breath

Bad breath can be another clear sign of poor oral hygiene and gum health. If your breath smells or tastes strange even after brushing and swishing around mouthwash, it could be a sign that your gums are not in good shape. It may not be an instant sign and need attention straight away. It could be that you have eaten a strongly scented food, like garlic. But, if it persists then monitor it closely and get in touch with your dentist. 

Bleeding gums

Bleeding gums can be a sign of bad oral health. Although gums can bleed if your toothbrush pokes at the gums too hard, persistent bleeding can be a sign that your gums need help and attention. 

After you brush, if the bleeding leads to inflammation, pain, or irritation, this could signal that the bleeding will occur again and again and isn’t the case of you poking too hard. If this happens, seek help from your dentist. 

Pinpoint what is causing irritation

If you find that your gums are becoming easily irritated, it can be useful to pinpoint what is causing it. Your dentist may say that your gum health is fine yet your gums are often sore. The reason for this could be your diet or lifestyle choices. Smoking and alcohol are bad for the gums, as are poor food choices. 

Foods that can irritate the gums are foods that are too hot or too cold, like ice cream. Or, high in sugar foods such as tomatoes and lunch meats can cause inflammation. 

If you notice that it might be food choices causing the irritation, then it is useful to swap these for anti-inflammatory foods, such as leafy greens, ginger, and fatty fish.

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