Gum Care at Home
A handful of habits do nearly all the work. Here's how to get each one right, what bleeding means and what to do about it, and the point at which home care alone isn't enough.
How Should I Be Caring for My Gums at Home?
Clean between the teeth once every day, brush for two minutes morning and night with the bristles angled into the gum line, spit the toothpaste out without rinsing afterwards, and stay off cigarettes. Bleeding gums are a reason to carry on cleaning, gently: inflamed gums usually firm up inside two weeks. If they haven't, arrange a hygiene appointment at our Broughty Ferry practice, where our hygienist will pinpoint exactly where your routine is letting you down.
Start Between the Teeth
Of all the habits you could change, make it this one. Gum disease almost always starts in the spaces between the teeth, in that small triangle of gum a toothbrush glides straight over. On its own, brushing leaves about a third of every tooth's surface uncleaned.
Interdental brushes are the right tool for most adults. Choose a size that fits snugly: you should feel slight resistance, but it should never have to be forced. Hardly anyone's mouth takes a single size, so expect to need two or three, with finer ones at the front and wider ones for the molars at the back. Slide the brush through, work it back and forth a couple of times, then give it a rinse under the tap. Once daily is sufficient, and the evening, before brushing, is the best time.
Floss is for contacts so tight that even the smallest brush won't pass. Wrap it around the tooth so it forms a C, slip it just beneath the gum, then move across and clean the adjacent tooth the same way. Water flossers come into their own where there are implants, bridges or fixed braces, yet a jet of water can't physically scrub plaque off the way bristles can, so regard one as a supplement, not a substitute.
Brushing Along the Gum Line
- Two minutes, morning and night, with a fluoride toothpaste. The bedtime brush matters most, since saliva flow drops while you sleep
- Angle the bristles at roughly 45 degrees so they rest partly on the tooth and partly on the gum
- Gentle wiggles or small circles, working across two or three teeth together, never a sideways scrub
- Go easy on the pressure. Pushing hard splays the bristles and, over the years, erodes both gum and root
- Follow the same route around the mouth (outer surfaces, inner surfaces, biting surfaces) so the same areas aren't skipped day after day
- Replace the brush or head every three months, or sooner if the bristles begin to fan out
The spots people most often overlook are the tongue-facing surface of the bottom front teeth, where tartar accumulates quickest, and the gum line tucked behind the very last molars. Give both a few seconds more.
Want a Routine Tailored to Your Mouth?
Arrange a hygiene appointment with our hygienist.
Manual or Electric?
Used well, either does the job. In reality, a good oscillating or sonic electric brush makes doing it well easier: you guide it unhurriedly along the gum margin and let it handle the scrubbing. A two-minute timer on most models stops you finishing early, and a pressure sensor lights up if you're pressing too hard. If a manual brush is your preference, pick a small-headed one whose bristles are soft or medium. Hard bristles lift no extra plaque, but they do harm the gums.
If Your Gums Bleed
Keep going. Bleeding isn't evidence that you're brushing too roughly. It tells you the gum is inflamed, the result of plaque sitting against it. Instinct says avoid the tender spot, which only leaves more plaque behind, and so the bleeding continues.
Clean the spot gently but properly each day, between the teeth included, and the bleeding should ease over roughly a fortnight as the gum tightens up and returns to a pale pink. If it persists or is heavy, or your gums feel sore, look puffy or are receding, make an appointment. Tartar may be holding the inflammation in place, or it may be early gum disease; either way, professional cleaning is needed.
Mouthwash and Toothpaste
The essential work is done by any toothpaste that contains fluoride. Once you've brushed, spit out what's left over and leave the film on your teeth; a rinse with water would wash the fluoride off before it has had the chance to act. By the same logic, if you like using mouthwash, use it at a different time of day.
Mouthwash is no substitute for a brush: plaque is a sticky film and has to be physically wiped off. Strong antiseptic rinses have a role for a week or so following gum treatment, if our hygienist suggests one, but over months they can leave teeth stained brown. For sensitive teeth or a tendency to decay, ask our hygienist which toothpaste suits you best.
Health and Lifestyle Influences
| Factor | The effect on gums |
|---|---|
| Smoking and vaping | Restricts the blood supply to the gums, so bleeding is masked and the early warning is lost, and healing is slower. Gum disease progresses faster in smokers |
| Diabetes | High blood sugar leaves gums more vulnerable to infection, while inflamed gums make blood sugar harder to manage |
| Pregnancy | Hormonal changes make the gums react sharply to plaque, making swelling and bleeding frequent |
| Medicines | Some dry the mouth, and a few cause gum overgrowth. Let us know about anything new |
| Snacking | How often sugar passes your lips matters more than the quantity. Sweet treats are best eaten with meals |
| Stress and too little sleep | Undermine your defences against infection, and usually mean cleaning gets hurried |
Looking After Implants, Aligners, Bonding and Veneers
Dental work demands at least as much attention as natural teeth, and in some cases more. The seal between gum and implant is weaker than that around a natural tooth, so infection has a quicker route to the bone. Brush the implant crown all round, work an interdental brush along each side, and pass one beneath any bridge. We offer a 5-year guarantee for non-smokers who attend hygiene visits every 3 months, which gives you an idea of how much the cleaning matters.
Always brush before an aligner goes back in, or the aligner will hold a layer of plaque tight against the enamel for hours on end. Where there's bonding or veneers, stain and plaque collect first at the join along the gum line. A polish at your hygiene appointment keeps that margin clean and helps the bonding last longer.
When a Hygiene Visit Is Needed
There's no need to wait for your next examination. Book with our hygienist if your gums are still bleeding after a fortnight of careful cleaning, if they look red or swollen, if they've begun to recede, if your breath remains unpleasant, or if a tooth has started to loosen or move. A thirty-minute appointment with our hygienist costs £70, and a hygiene visit with Airflow polishing included is £100. 1
Both come as part of our dental plans: Plan A includes two appointments a year and Plan B four. Where gums are sore, our hygienist can numb them first. Most people leave knowing exactly which sizes of brush suit them and which teeth deserve extra attention.
Questions
This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. A dentist needs to examine you to say what is right for your teeth.