The gums are vital to your oral health and overall health. Bad gums don’t just look bad, but gum infections can cause teeth to fail. Improve gum health in Royal Oak MI by visit North Oaks Dental. Our office uses state-of-the-art technology to keep mouths healthy and restore damaged teeth and gum tissue.

We focus on eliminating gum problems, both infections and cosmetic problems, while offering elite general dentistry for patients of all ages. It’s important to focus on gum health because gum disease is rampant and the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. In fact, most people will struggle with gum disease in their lifetime!

So, today we want to run through a number of ways you can improve your gum health. If you’re ready to schedule an appointment, call our office today at 248-712-1522 (Royal Oak) 248-963-1969 (New Hudson) .

1. Brushing and floss

It’s recommended that Americans brushing their teeth twice a day (for two minutes at a time) and floss every day. Not everyone follows that advice. A recent study found that only 7 out 10 Americans brush their teeth twice day. Even worse, only about 4 out of 10 Americans floss their teeth daily, and 20 percent of Americans say they never floss!

These numbers are shocking given that brushing and flossing are the first lines of defense against tooth decay and gum disease. Substances like sugar will produce harmful acids that eat away at the tooth, and harmful bacteria in the mouth can lead to serious gum infections.

2. Maintain regular dental visits

Routine dental visits not only allow us to better clean the teeth, but it also gives us a chance to catch dental problems in the early stages. It’s always cheaper to correct a problem earlier rather than wait later. The American Dental Association recommends that patients visit the dentist twice a year or about every six months. During these visit, we’ll remove any plaque and harmful substances to reduce the risk of decay.

If patients have signs of gum disease, we recommend visit the office once every three to four month so we can assess the infection and treat problem areas.

3. Remove gum infections

You read above that gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. To keep the gum infection from destroying teeth, we need to remove the infection. We’re using a process known as scaling and root planing. We can treat gum disease with a soft tissue laser. Rather than using stitches and scalpels, we use a laser to remove the infection from the gums. The big benefit of this is that we don’t need to cut the gums or use stitches. We’ve found that the laser takes less time to treat the area and actually increase recovery times.

4. Treat grinding or clenching

Habits like grinding or clenching the teeth put stress on your teeth and gums. People who grind or clench their gums often have dysfunction in the joint known as the temporomandibular joint. This joint is at work everytime we open or close our mouths, so it’s functioning whenever we’re eating or speaking. Problems with this joint can cause an imbalanced bite, increasing the risk of dental fractures, chips, or even cracks. People with TMJ issues also frequently wake up with headaches or experience jaw tenderness and muscle soreness.
We can correct some TMJ issues with crowns and bridges or oral appliances you can wear at night. Treating TMJ issues will put less stress on the gums and stop the gums from eroding.

5. Reshape the gums

Often patients have healthy teeth but cosmetic gum issues. Sometimes the gums are too small or too big. Our office can treat both of those issues. If you have gum recession, we’re treating that issue with a system known as the pinhole technique (please note that Dr. Daboul is the only doctor in our practice certified to perform this technique). We simply make a small pinhole in the gums and then gently guide the gums into a better position. Once the gums are in shape, we’ll place collagen in the gums to keep them in place.

On the other spectrum, a person with too much gums can treat those issues with a soft tissue laser. This improves gum health and gives you a more attractive appearance.

At North Oaks Dental, we have five different dentists able to handle your dental needs. We’re helping patients of all ages. Let us improve your gum health and overall health. Give us a call today at 248-712-1522 (Royal Oak) 248-963-1969 (New Hudson) to book a visit. Or use the online form to request a visit.