Yes you need to floss because flossing cleans in between the teeth where even the best brushing cannot clean.

The frequency of professional cleanings depends on the individual. Everyone is different. Some people need more sleep than others to be properly rested, and cleanings are no different. People with good plaque control, daily brushing and flossing and high natural resistance can have cleanings twice a year and still maintain optimal dental health. People with less effective plaque control at home and lower natural resistance need cleanings three or four times a year.

Unfortunately, dental insurance is not designed for optimal health for each person. Two cleanings a year is the insurance minimum. If you need to have four cleanings a year to maintain optimal health, you need to do what is best for you, not the insurance company. To put it into perspective, based on the cost of a typical periodontal cleaning visit, the two extra visits per year will cost less than two cokes or one Cafe Mocha Latte a week.

If you don’t stop the gum problems, it is likely that you will lose teeth. However, gum disease can be successfully treated and controlled with modern state-of-the-art periodontal care as long as you catch it soon enough. Do not wait till it gets so bad that it is too late.

Everything, to some extent, is hereditary including gum problems. But your parents probably didn’t get the best dental care either. Today much more can be done than years ago, so even if you inherited low resistance, you can have healthy gums.

Hormonal changes affect all of the body, including the reaction of our gums to the germs in plaque. In other words, the plaque causes gum problems. The hormonal changes lower the body’s resistance to plaque. Extra flossing and brushing should stop bleeding gums during menstrual cycles and pregnancy.

The best type of brush to use is a soft brush with round ended bristles in the case of a manual brush. Electric brushes are good too, such as the Rotadent. To learn more visit our recommended products for patients.

Today, the most effective toothpastes and mouth washes to fight periodontal disease are the ones that contain chlorine dioxide. There are several brands, most of which have been developed by a dentist and dispensed directly from dentist offices. They are designed to neutralize and break up the volatile sulfur compounds that are made by bacteria to break down the gum tissue. To learn more visit our recommended products for patients.

Listerine can kill some germs but not the germs that cause periodontal disease, so it is not an effective treatment for gum disease. To learn more visit our recommended products for patients.

In the short run, especially for acute gum infections with abscess or pus, you can take antibiotics, but in the long run, antibiotics are not the solution. Effective brushing, flossing and, most importantly, regular dental care is the best answer.

Gum disease rarely hurts. In fact, sometimes the only sign of gum disease is when a patient notices a tooth has become loose or a bad taste develops in their mouth. At that point, it may be too late to save the tooth. Regular cleanings and check-ups are the key to discover these problems before they get too bad.

Most bad breath is caused by bacteria and bacterial by-products in the mouth. Gum disease is a major cause of bad breath.