Gum disease is an infection of the gums and the tissue and bones surrounding teeth. It can affect a person at any age and is considered one of the most common dental problems.

You are likely to have gum disease if:

• Your gums are dark red, sore or swollen
• Your gums bleed easily whenever you brush your teeth persist
• You have lingering bad breath
• You have shaky teeth
• Your teeth or your bite feels out of alignment
• Your gums have pulled away from your teeth
• Your teeth and gums have pus discharge

If you have any of the above-mentioned symptoms, see your dentist immediately for accurate diagnosis. If you are diagnosed with gum disease, there are many ways to go about treatment. You can seek professional dental care that can be surgical or non-surgical treatments.

Alternatively, you may consider natural healing for gum disease. However, this option does not mean you should stop seeing your dentist. In fact, your dentist will be able to give you good advice on natural healing for gum disease and help ensure effective treatment.

Natural healing for gum disease through herbs

Herbalists suggest rinsing your mouth with diluted myrrh tincture to relieve bleeding and swollen gums. Myrrh is also known as a deodorant so it can also help freshen breath. Chaparral, Peppermint and Sage tea are all excellent mouthwash. Use toothpaste or mouth rinse that contains bloodroot, which is excellent in preventing plaque buildup and gum disease. Brushing your teeth with a few drops of tea tree essential oil added to your toothpaste will soothe irritated gums. Tea tree also has antiseptic properties that help prevent gum disease by fighting bacteria. You can also massage and stimulate gums with eucalyptus oil.

Natural healing for gum disease through nutrition

To aid the healing of gum disease, make sure your diet is high in vitamins C, A and B as well as zinc and calcium. Nutritionists recommend that you eat five portions or servings of fruits and vegetables daily such as citrus fruits, papaya, melons, berries, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes and peppers. Exercise the gums by eating raw fruits and vegetables.
Natural healing for gum disease requires good personal dental hygiene. Brush your teeth thoroughly at least twice a day. Use a soft toothbrush. Replace your toothbrush every 4 months. Floss your teeth at least once a day. Rinse your mouth after meals. Self-care is critical to treatment of gum disease. Remember that gum disease is the result of neglect so the only way to prevent or treat it is to start paying attention to your dental health.

How do we fight gum disease? In order to win the battle against gum disease, you must first know its causes and risk factors. Gum disease, or medically known as periodontal disease, is the condition wherein the gums, attachment fibers and the bone surrounding the teeth are inflamed or infected. It is caused by the bacterial growth and other factors which progressively damage the tissue surrounding and supporting the teeth. The word “periodontal” literally means “around the tooth”.

There are many ways on how to fight gum disease. The best way on how to fight gum disease is by preventing its development. Experts agree that individuals who have vitamin C deficiency have higher rates of gum disease. Vitamin C is known to help prevent gum disease because vitamin C is an antioxidant. Antioxidants repair the connective fibers and hasten the regeneration of the damaged bone caused by gum disease. Another way on how to fight gum disease is by applying tea tree oil gel. Tea tree oil gel fights the development of gingivitis into periodontitis. Drinking cranberry juice is a good on how to fight gum disease. Cranberries fight the bacteria from sticking to the teeth. Another means on how to fight gum disease by reducing your stress level. Stress hastens the development of gum disease by increasing the accumulation of plaque in the mouth. Stress contributes to the accumulation of plaque and gum bleeding.

Vitamin D can also lessen the susceptibility of gum disease. Vitamin D is known to have anti-inflammatory property thus reducing the inflammation of the gums. The National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements recommends that 10 to fifteen minutes of exposure of the sun two times a week can trigger the synthesis of vitamin D in the skin, thus, reducing the bleeding of the gums during gum probing. The sunlight is the most abundant source of vitamin D.

The easiest way to fight gum disease is by exercising regular oral hygiene. Brushing your teeth at least two times a day will remove the plaque even before it accumulate and hardens into calculus. Using fluoride toothpaste helps prevent decay on the teeth. Flossing your teeth daily is highly advised. Flossing removes the hard to reach plaque in between your teeth where mere brushing can not reach. Rinsing the mouth with an antimicrobial mouthwash will give additional protection against plaque; consult your dentist for proper mouthwash use. And the best way to fight gum disease is by visiting your dentist for check up on a regular basis. It is one sure way of making sure that your teeth and gums are healthy.

Experts say that there is a connection between gum disease and heart disease. If you take good care of your gums, you are also taking good care of your heart.