{"id":10,"date":"2016-06-02T18:27:43","date_gmt":"2016-06-02T18:27:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.zumbrofamilydental.com\/blog\/?p=10"},"modified":"2017-08-01T23:49:32","modified_gmt":"2017-08-01T23:49:32","slug":"five-ways-improve-gum-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zumbrofamilydental.com\/blog\/five-ways-improve-gum-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Ways to Improve Your Gum Health"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-11\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zumbrofamilydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/iStock_000010920713_Small-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"dentist in rochester MN\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.zumbrofamilydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/iStock_000010920713_Small-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.zumbrofamilydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/iStock_000010920713_Small.jpg 566w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/>On the quest for good oral health, you know protecting your teeth from cavities is important. But what about your gums? They\u2019re just as important as the teeth that sit inside them &#8212; and actually, healthy gums promote good overall wellbeing, too. Left untreated, gum disease has been linked to serious health conditions, like heart disease and diabetes. So how can you improve the shape of your gums and prevent periodontal (gum) disease? <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zumbrofamilydental.com\/meet-the-dentist.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your dentist<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in Rochester MN has some ideas.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">#1: Brush more gently<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It may feel like aggressive brushing is necessary for a truly deep clean, but those hard back-and-forth strokes are actually causing your gums to recede, or pull back from where they should be. And when too much of your tooth is exposed, sensitivity and other dental problems are likely to occur as a result. So what can aggressive brushers do to protect their gums from recession? It\u2019s simple: change the tactic. Focus on brushing in gentle, circular motions, using a soft-bristled brush. Your gums will thank you for it.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">#2: Don\u2019t forget your tongue<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It shouldn\u2019t come as a surprise that your tongue harbors the same bacteria that causes gum disease and tooth decay. So why wouldn\u2019t you clean this area of your mouth, too? Brush your tongue gently, in circular motions after you\u2019ve cleaned the rest of your teeth, for fresher breath and a healthier mouth. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">#3: Get the proper angle<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To get a better clean, hold the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle rather than a direct 90-degree angle. Doing so helps you reach more of your gum line &#8212; just make sure you\u2019re brushing gently to prevent gum recession. When it comes to your dental hygiene routine, soft, gentle movements are always best. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">#4: Top it off with floss<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every good dental hygiene routine requires daily flossing, and this step is one of the most crucial for maintaining healthy gums. Gentle, daily flossing will remove the plaque and bacteria your toothbrush just can\u2019t reach. To get the most thorough clean, wrap about 18 inches of floss around each index finger and gently glide a new section between each tooth and around the gum line. Need more help? The American Dental Association has a handy <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.mouthhealthy.org\/en\/az-topics\/f\/flossing?channelId=6b5dffd3fb5b40de934ea05bd231511a&amp;channelListId&amp;mediaId=9486f0662b5a4c1c8b4a4bd06cd02ca6\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">video<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on the proper flossing technique.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">#5: And come see us every six months!<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Last but not least, good gum health requires a visit to your family dentist in Rochester MN every six months. This preventive visit is important for removing the plaque and tartar buildup that cause gum inflammation and periodontal disease. When was your last dental checkup and cleaning? If you haven\u2019t visited us this year, it\u2019s been too long. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zumbrofamilydental.com\/contact.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Contact Zumbro Family Dental<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to schedule your appointment today!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On the quest for good oral health, you know protecting your teeth from cavities is important. But what about your gums? They\u2019re just as important as the teeth that sit inside them &#8212; and actually, healthy gums promote good overall wellbeing, too. Left untreated, gum disease has been linked to serious health conditions, like heart [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[12,14,13,10,16,17,18,15,11,5],"class_list":["post-10","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general-dentistry","tag-brushing-tips","tag-dental-hygiene","tag-flossing-tips","tag-general-dentistry","tag-gum-disease","tag-periodontal-disease","tag-periodontitis","tag-rochester-mn","tag-tooth-health-tips","tag-zumbro-family-dental"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Five Ways to Improve Your Gum Health<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A strong smile needs healthy gums, too. Your dentist in Rochester MN has five tips for improving your gum health this year!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zumbrofamilydental.com\/blog\/five-ways-improve-gum-health\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Five Ways to Improve Your Gum Health\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A strong smile needs healthy gums, too. Your dentist in Rochester MN has five tips for improving your gum health this year!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.zumbrofamilydental.com\/blog\/five-ways-improve-gum-health\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Zumbro Family Dental Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-06-02T18:27:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2017-08-01T23:49:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.zumbrofamilydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/iStock_000010920713_Small-200x300.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"drbrong\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"drbrong\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zumbrofamilydental.com\\\/blog\\\/five-ways-improve-gum-health\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zumbrofamilydental.com\\\/blog\\\/five-ways-improve-gum-health\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"drbrong\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zumbrofamilydental.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/03879c1028647ec11997e8c06757a573\"},\"headline\":\"Five Ways to Improve Your Gum Health\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-06-02T18:27:43+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-08-01T23:49:32+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zumbrofamilydental.com\\\/blog\\\/five-ways-improve-gum-health\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":463,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zumbrofamilydental.com\\\/blog\\\/five-ways-improve-gum-health\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zumbrofamilydental.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/06\\\/iStock_000010920713_Small-200x300.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"brushing tips\",\"dental hygiene\",\"flossing tips\",\"general dentistry\",\"gum disease\",\"periodontal disease\",\"periodontitis\",\"Rochester MN\",\"tooth health tips\",\"Zumbro Family Dental\"],\"articleSection\":[\"General Dentistry\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zumbrofamilydental.com\\\/blog\\\/five-ways-improve-gum-health\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zumbrofamilydental.com\\\/blog\\\/five-ways-improve-gum-health\\\/\",\"name\":\"Five Ways to Improve Your Gum Health\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zumbrofamilydental.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zumbrofamilydental.com\\\/blog\\\/five-ways-improve-gum-health\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zumbrofamilydental.com\\\/blog\\\/five-ways-improve-gum-health\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zumbrofamilydental.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/06\\\/iStock_000010920713_Small-200x300.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-06-02T18:27:43+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-08-01T23:49:32+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.zumbrofamilydental.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/03879c1028647ec11997e8c06757a573\"},\"description\":\"A strong smile needs healthy gums, too. 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