Gum

5 Surprising Ways to Treat Gum Disease

If you’ve ever had to deal with uncontrollable bad breath, receding gums, or a bloody toothbrush, then you’re familiar with the struggles of gum disease. Along with losing teeth in the worst cases, you could find yourself having trouble eating due to increased sensitivity in the gums, or trouble tasting due to excessive puss coming from between your teeth.

While some of these symptoms are extreme, they all can become a reality if you leave your gum disease left unchecked. So if you’re not fond of visiting the dentist, here are five surprising ways to treat your gum disease. 

1. Take proper care of your mouth

Of all the ways to treat gum disease on this list, this one is probably the least surprising. For any of the following home-treatments to work, you need to be taking care of your teeth first. You should be brushing your teeth at least twice per day, or after each meal if possible. To maximize cleaning potential, it may be wise to invest in an electric toothbrush.

Help protect your sensitive gums by using only soft or extra-soft bristles on your toothbrush and replace every several months. Flossing is essential, but should be done carefully so as to not cause bleeding from the gums. 

Finally, use a natural mouthwash, and avoid smoking and using tobacco products. Smoking causes damage to more than just the lunges, so whether you’re hotboxing with your friends or enjoying a solo joint, be aware of the potential damage you may be causing. To learn more, check out this article on Veriheal. 

2. Salt water rinse

A salt water rinse is one of the oldest tricks in the book for getting rid of bad breath, as well as treating swollen or bloody gums. A study helped to solidify the connection between a regular saline rinse of the mouth and a decrease in the amount of time it took for a mouth ulcer to heal. 

It’s easy to do. All you need to do is boil some water and add salt. Allow it to cool inside a sealed container, and you’ve got yourself some sterile saline solution to use for a daily rinse!

3. Homemade mouthwash

If a saltwater solution isn’t doing enough to help solve your gum disease problems, you should consider using a mouthwash. Instead of going to the store and purchasing something to use, try a homemade solution like one made from lemongrass oil, or aloe vera. 

Lemongrass oil needs to be diluted with water, but it’s effective at eliminating plaque and gingivitis. Not a fan of lemongrass? Give aloe vera a try. You just need to make sure that your aloe vera is 100% pure aloe vera juice -which shouldn’t be diluted like the lemongrass oil. 

4. Turmeric gel

As per usual, you shouldn’t use turmeric gel if you’re allergic to turmeric, but due to turmeric’s anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-fungal properties, it’s a great tool for treating the pain associated with gum disease, as well as cleaning out bacteria. 

You can find turmeric gel at many grocery stores and pharmacies, and it may either be labeled as Turmeric gel or Curcumin gel -they’re the same thing! Just brush your teeth, rinse, and apply the gel to your gums. Allow it to sit on your gums for ten minutes, and then rinse.

5. Oil pulling 

Oil pulling is an Ayurvedic treatment which has been around for thousands of years, and only recently has found its way to the west. It simply involves swishing oil around in your mouth for 20-30 minutes, which sounds exhausting, but has many potential benefits for those with gum disease. 

For example, coconut oil has anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties which make it a great option for oil pulling. Swish fractionated coconut oil around in your mouth for about 20 minutes, and you’ll end up with whiter teeth, fresh breath, and clear sinuses! 

It’s important to emphasize the fact that you should not swallow. The oil in your mouth contains toxins pulled from your mouth which won’t be good for your stomach, so do your best! 

Conclusion 

Gum disease and gingivitis are never fun to deal with, but we think if you try all five of these home remedies (not all at once), you’ll be eating, laughing, and smiling pain-free in no time! However, if the pain persists, you should visit a dental professional as soon as possible. You can check out this dentist in Lexington to get started

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