In the fight against gum disease there are two main parts:

1. Home Care - These are the tools that I have personally used to fight back against gum disease - in addition to dental floss, brushing and now a tool called a Perio-Aid.

2. Professional care - If you are having any gum problems at all, I highly recommend the services of a good periodontist. Periodontist have specialized training and experience in the care of gum tissue and gum health.

In addition to the initial consultation where the periodontist can check the health of your gums and give you a report, they can also give a very thorough professional cleaning.

Past the age of about 20 or so, gum disease becomes the number one cause of tooth loss. Therefore, you want to care for you gum tissue as much as possible. Avoid recession and keep both the tooth and the gum tissue and underlying support structure healthy.

If you are already facing a lot of gum disease, the periodontist may be able to build your gum line back in certain places and even strengthen the underlying bone structure.

Two month cleanings kept most study subjects’ gum tissue healthy during a study done in Scandinavia in the late 70’s or early 80’s. Insurance in the United States won’t pay for a cleaning every two months but they can often be convinced to pay for one every three months.

However, if you are greatly concerned about the health of your gums, consider paying for the two month cleanings out of pocket. It is a good preventive measure they can help you maintain healthy gums for a lifetime.

I wish I had this information years ago. So take advantage of this knowledge.

*if you have or think you might have gum disease or any other oral health problem, visit your dentist for diagnosis and treatment.