Dentist Approved Ways to Improve Gum Health

 

I recently went to the dentist for my twice-yearly cleaning. I thought I was doing everything right: brushing twice a day with an electric toothbrush, using my waterpik at night, staying really consistent with my routine. I was in for a shock when my dentist told me that while my gums were healthy, they were weak and I needed to make some changes. She gave me three ways to improve my gum health that I wanted to share with you here.

1) Waterpik on the highest intensity level 

A water flosser shoots high pressure water out of a small tip and is used in addition to or in replacement of a normal string floss. My dentist had originally recommended it for me because I have a lingual retainer on my bottom teeth that is such a pain to manually floss with string. I was using my waterpik on a mid-level, scared to go any higher because it hurt a little and my gums bled and I thought that was good enough. My dentist told me that everyone should be using their water flosser on the highest level. I worked my way up half a step each day and while there was a little blood and discomfort at first, I acclimated quickly and it's fine now. Using the highest level makes your gums more resilient, stronger,  and less likely to bleed during a routine cleaning. 

2) Supplement with Vitamin C and Collagen 

My dentist told me that the two most important nutrients/supplements for gum health is vitamin C and collagen. I found Love Wellness Good To Glow which contains vitamin C and collagen along with biotin, zinc, and vitamin E. The suggested serving of the Good to Glow is two pills once a day, but I've been doing a single pill five times a week because I also take a daily multivitamin and get some vitamin C that way. I don't know that I've noticed a difference because of the supplement, but I will keep it up until the bottle runs out and then decide if I want to use another brand. 

I'll make a follow up post in six months after I see my dentist to let you know if my gums show any improvement. Let me know if you are going to implement any of these things into your routine or if you have any tips and tricks to improve gum health. 

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