Bleeding gums, bad breath, and toothache—if you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you might be suffering from gum disease or periodontitis. And if you are, you are not alone—more than 64 million American adults battle this disease every year.
Periodontitis puts your oral health at great risk when it is not discovered and treated on time. Fortunately, several natural and professional dental care practices can help you reverse gum disease in its early stage.
This article will share nine different tips for reversing periodontitis and regaining your dental health on time.
What is Periodontitis?
Periodontitis or gum disease is a gum infection that damages your teeth’ soft tissues and destroys the bone that supports your teeth.
Periodontitis is pretty common among adults, yet; it is largely preventable. Maintaining good oral hygiene by brushing and flossing regularly can prevent this disease or speed up your recovery if you're diagnosed with the condition.
Some of the symptoms of periodontitis include:
- Swollen gums
- Red or purplish gum
- Bad breath
- Tooth loss
- Gaps in between your teeth
If you notice any of these symptoms, visit your periodontist as soon as possible for medical diagnosis and treatment. There are solutions for how to reverse gum disease, which I'll share below.
9 Tips On How To Reverse Gum Disease
1. Brush for 2-minutes twice a day and floss at least once a day.
Make it a habit to brush your teeth for about two minutes, morning and night. Use a good toothbrush with soft bristles to clean the outer surfaces, inner surfaces, and the chewing surfaces of your teeth. Also, don't forget to brush your tongue.
After brushing, don't forget to floss. Flossing regularly helps you to get rid of plaques and food particles hidden in parts of your mouth that your brush cannot reach. Pay particular attention to your gum line and in-between your teeth.
2. Get a routine dental cleaning every six months.
It would be best if you visited a periodontist or dental professional twice a year, at the very least. These visits allow you to have thorough dental teeth cleaning, including plaque and tartar removal. Plaque and tartar can speed up bacteria growth and cause periodontitis if not removed in time.
During dental care, your periodontist can spot and address other potential problems before they harm your teeth.
3. Rinse with antibacterial mouthwash after brushing and flossing.
To reverse gum disease use antiseptic mouthwashes to help to prevent the buildup of plaque around the teeth. As mentioned earlier, plaque build-up is one of the leading causes of gingivitis and other gum diseases affecting adults.
The other advantage of using an antibacterial mouthwash is it loosens up food particles stuck to your teeth, making it easier for you to remove them when brushing and flossing.
4. Try a salt water treatment.
To reverse gum disease, rinse your teeth with warm salt water can help reduce the inflammation of your gums caused by periodontitis.
It also has other benefits like:
- Easing the pain caused by gum inflammation
- Reducing periodontitis-causing bacteria in your oral cavity
- Removing hidden particles of food that can cause plaque build-up
- Relieving bad breath
The best part is it's easy to create a salt-water rinse. All you need to do is add ¾ teaspoon of salt into a glass of lukewarm water and mix the solution well.
Next, swish the salt-water rinse in your mouth for up to thirty seconds and spit it out.
You can use salt water rinse up to three times a day. However, note that long-term use can damage the surface of your teeth, so exercise some caution.
5. Consider a lemongrass oil, tea tree, or aloe vera mouthwash.
Lemongrass oil contains several properties that aid in treating gingivitis and reduces plaque buildup to help reverse gum disease. This is the same for aloe vera and tea tree oil.
You can make your own lemongrass, aloe vera, and tea tree oil mouthwashes at home. For your aloe vera mouthwash, you only need to rinse your mouth with the extract at least two or three times a day. In contrast, lemongrass and tea tree oil mouthwashes can be used up to three times a day.
If you're allergic to any of these natural substances, you should avoid using them for your periodontitis treatment.
6. Use the oil pulling technique.
Oil pulling is the act of rinsing your mouth thoroughly with natural oils that can reduce harmful bacteria and toxins in your oral cavity.
Common options for this gum disease treatment technique are coconut oil pulling and arimedadi oil pulling. Coconut oil contains lauric acid, which reduces plaques and swollen gums.
On the other hand, arimedadi oil can heal mouth sores and strengthen the root of your teeth and gums.
7. Use turmeric gel to prevent gum disease.
Turmeric contains antimicrobial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties that help your gum recover from several effects of periodontitis. Specifically, it relieves bleeding and reddening of the gums.
After brushing and rinsing your teeth thoroughly, you should apply the gel to your gums and wait for about ten minutes. Then, rinse your mouth and spit the water out.
It is best if you do this twice a day for maximum effect.
8. Scaling and planing.
If the plaque and tartar have gone below your gum line to form pockets, your dentist might perform a thorough scaling and root planing to remove them before they cause any more damage.
Scaling and root planing can be mildly uncomfortable, and your dentist might administer a local anesthetic to reduce any discomfort you feel. After the process, they would prescribe certain drugs to help your gum heal faster.
9. As a last resort, consider periodontal surgery.
When the extent of the damage is too much, your dentist might recommend surgery as a last resort to reverse gum disease.
During this surgery, your dentist will move your gums back to expose the parts of your teeth damaged by the bacteria. This allows them to thoroughly remove the damaged gum tissues and prepare your teeth for healing.
If this isn't done, you might lose teeth or suffer severe bone damage. The bacteria could even spread to other parts of your body and cause severe illness.
Periodontitis: Frequently Asked Questions
Can periodontal disease be reversed?
If detected early, your periodontist can treat and reverse periodontitis. This is why experts recommend that you have regular checkups with registered dentistry at least twice a year.
At the earliest stage of the disease, teeth cleaning and oral hygiene practices like brushing twice a day and flossing can destroy the bacteria and get your teeth back to normal.
Can periodontal disease be reversed naturally?
Reversing gum disease using natural treatments like lemongrass oil mouthwash, salt rinse, and oil pulling techniques can be achieved at the earliest stages of this condition.
However, if the symptoms persist, you should see your periodontist for professional advice.
How long does it take to cure periodontal disease?
It can take up to two weeks to recover from periodontitis, especially after you've had surgery.
However, some people are fully healed after a few days, and some immediately get back to work following surgery.
Throughout the recovery period, your mouth may feel extra sensitive, and you may not be able to eat solid food for a short time.
On the other hand, natural gum disease treatment methods like aloe vera mouthwash and salt rinse would take a considerable amount of time before noticing any positive results.
