Bad Breath: You Don't Have to Live with It

If you have gum disease, then your dentist will likely suggest treatments like deep root scalings, ultrasonic cleanings, and gum pocket reductions. These types of gum disease treatments can help to clear bacteria from underneath the gums so they can heal properly. After treatments are over, you are likely to still see some gum recession. Your gums can grow back a small amount, and there are several things you can do to help the tissues rebuild. Keep reading to find out about a few of these things.

Clean Gently

If you use a hard toothbrush and scrub your teeth in the morning and evening, then you may think that you are removing food and plaque effectively from the teeth. This may be true, but you also will cut and scrape the gum tissues when you brush aggressively. Gum damage can lead to further recession and new infections. This means you need to gently clean the teeth and gums so tissues remain undamaged and new gums can grow.

Find the Right Products

To clean the gums gently, pick up an electronic toothbrush. Find a model with thin nylon bristles and a pressure sensor that keeps you from brushing too hard. Also, look for a brush that has a rotating and oscillating head to remove the most plaque. Good plaque removal will keep bacteria away from the gums.

Buy a low abrasive toothpaste as well. Toothpastes with baking soda are the most gentle. You can also make your own toothpaste at home that does not contain alumina, silica, or phosphates that can scrape the gums.

Gather some sea salt, peppermint oil, xylitol sweetener, and some coconut oil. Place two tablespoons of sea salt in a food processor and grind it into a fine powder. Place the salt in a dish and add five drops of peppermint oil, one-half teaspoon of xylitol, and two teaspoons of coconut oil. Mix all of the ingredients together and use the paste to brush your teeth.

The sea salt acts as a mild abrasive, the peppermint oil kills bacteria, and the xylitol prevents plaque from forming. The coconut oil in the mix helps to bind all of the ingredients together.

Eat More Protein and Vitamin C

If you want your body to start forming new gums in your mouth, then you need to eat the right foods so tissue can be formed. New gums are created out of connective tissues called collagen. Your body needs amino acids and vitamin C to form the collagen, so make sure these nutrients are abundant in your diet. The amino acids needed to form tissues include lysine and proline.

Soy, tofu, eggs, cheese, milk, and fish all contain a good deal of these amino acids, so add these foods to your daily meals. Pork, chicken, and beef contain the proteins as well.

To increase the vitamin C in your diet, consume broccoli, tomatoes, bell peppers, oranges, spinach, and kale.

Massage the Gums

Another good way to promote gum growth is to massage the gums every day. Massaging the tissues will increase circulation across the small capillaries that line the gums. When circulation is increased, the gums receive more oxygen and vital nutrients that promote healing and new tissue formation.

You can massage your gums with your fingers alone, or you can spread an oil mixture on your fingers as you knead the tissues. A mix of tea tree oil and olive oil is a good mix. The tea tree oil will kill bacteria across the tissues and the olive oil will soothe them.

When you massage your gums, work your fingers across the tissues in a circular fashion. Use gentle pressure and move your fingers across your mouth for 10 or 15 minutes. Do this two times a day to increase circulation.

If you have gum disease, then you may need to meet with your dentist so special care can be provided. After treatments are provided, follow the tips above to help your gums grow new tissues.