How to Prevent Tartar Buildup, Whiten Teeth, and Avoid Tooth Decay In 5 Steps

Receding gums are a very common dental condition that can sneak up on you over time without you even realizing it. Aside from just being unpleasant to look at, receding gums can make you much more susceptible to having bacteria build up in between your teeth, which can lead to further gum disease.

Although you can’t really reverse the recession of gums, you can make certain lifestyle choices and eat certain foods to prevent any further receding. This is why I’m going to show you five ways to naturally stop receding gums.

What Are Receding Gums?
In order for you to live a gum recession-free life you first have to understand exactly what causes gums to recede and the full impact that this has on your dental health.

Gum recession is when the part of your gums that surround your teeth start to wear away. This causes more of the tooth, and even the tooth’s root, to be exposed. This results in gaps or “pockets” to form in between the teeth which allow room for disease-causing bacteria to build up.

If receding gums are left untreated, the bone structure of the teeth can be heavily damaged, and it will ultimately result in the loss of the affected teeth.

There are a variety of factors that can cause receding gums. However, the most common ones are periodontal diseases, which are gum infections that destroy the tissue of the gum which surrounds the teeth.

Therefore, one of the best ways to prevent receding gums is to prevent these infections.

Now that you know more about receding gums and what causes it, here is what you can do to help prevent it from happening.

5 Things To Do To Help Prevent Receding Gums

1. Brush with Baking Soda

Baking soda has been shown time and time again to be effective at removing plaque. Five, controlled, clinical studies on over 270 subjects found that toothpaste containing Arm & Hammer baking soda removed significantly more plaque than all of the other toothpastes that did not contain baking soda.

Baking soda also provides powerful antimicrobial and antibacterial properties, making it even more effective at preventing periodontal diseases.

2. Change the Way You Brush

Many people don’t know this, but an improper or vigorous tooth brushing technique can be a major contributor to receding gums.

Make sure that you are always brushing your teeth from the top of your gum line downwards to the bottom of your teeth, without brushing back upwards. Also, make sure not to brush too aggressively as this can inflame and damage the gums.

3. Gargle with Coconut Oil

Coconut oil has been found to contain very strong antimicrobial and antibacterial properties, and it’s consistency allows you to clean your mouth with it just by gargling. This makes coconut oil gargling a very convenient and effective way to prevent periodontal disease, and it can also prevent other damaging effects such as inflammation.

4. Drink More Green Tea

There have been a variety of studies that show the correlation between drinking green tea and improved tooth and gum health. One study shows that rinsing with a green tea extract can keep your teeth from eroding, and it can also prevent plaque build up and tooth decay caused by starchy foods.

Other research has shown that people who regularly drink green tea have better overall gum health than those who don’t.

5. Avoid Tobacco

This may seem obvious, but smoking cigarettes cause a restriction in the blood supply to the gums, which weakens them and allows infections to take place while causing a loss of gum tissue. Chewing tobacco can also irritate the gums, which causes a recession.

If you feel like you may have receding gums, or just want to make sure that they don’t start receding, start following these tips immediately to make sure your gums stay healthy.