What Is Lurking Under Your Gumline?

Gum Disease Treatment Wilmette

Hello Wilmette! Your overall oral health depends not only on healthy teeth but also on healthy gums. Proper oral hygiene helps keep both your teeth and gums in good shape.

When brushing, hold your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle aiming the bristle tips at the gumline. The bristles of a soft toothbrush can clean the food particles in the pockets in front and back of the tooth, but you need floss to clean between the teeth. Be sure to get the floss down into the pocket between the gum and teeth. Scrape food particles up and out of the pocket.

Back to toothbrushing: if the toothbrush is not held at the correct angle, the bristles can’t get in the pockets to clean out the bacteria before it turns into enamel-damaging plaque. If plaque builds up in the pockets, the gums can start loosening.

Eventually, the pockets will become too deep for your toothbrush bristles to reach. Unfortunately, the tooth structure below the gumline is more susceptible to decay than the enamel above the gumline.

There is more than one way to damage your teeth—even if the visible parts of your teeth are cavity-free, gum disease can cause issues with the parts you can’t see.

We work with our patients of all ages to establish essential oral hygiene habits.

If you haven’t had a check-up in a while, or are experiencing gum soreness or recession, call Mantis Dentistry & Implant Center today at 847-256-4776 to schedule a thorough tooth and gum examination.

During your exam, doctor Mantis will measure the depth of the pockets around each tooth. If you already have gum disease, we will help you restore gum health.

At Mantis Dentistry & Implant Center in Wilmette, we provide comprehensive general and cosmetic dental services including cosmetic dentistry and dental implants. If your teeth are dull or stained, ask us about teeth bleaching.

Contact Mantis Dentistry & Implant Center:

847-256-4776

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

1625 N Sheridan Rd Ste J
Wilmette, IL
60091