Healthy Gums at Home
The few habits that do most of the work, how to get each one right, what to do about bleeding, and when home care isn't enough.
What's the Best Way to Look After My Gums at Home?
Clean between your teeth once a day, brush twice a day for two minutes with the bristles tilted into the gum line, spit out toothpaste without rinsing, and don't smoke. If your gums bleed, keep cleaning gently: inflamed gums normally firm up within a fortnight. If they don't, book a hygiene visit in Hamilton with Simra Ashraf, our hygienist, who will show you exactly where your routine is falling short.
Start Between the Teeth
If you only change one thing, make it this. Gum disease nearly always begins in the gaps between teeth, in the little triangle of gum a toothbrush skates past. Brushing alone leaves roughly a third of each tooth's surface untouched.
Interdental brushes suit most adults. Pick a size that slides in snugly: it should feel a little resistance, but never need forcing. Few mouths take a single size, so expect to use two or three, finer at the front and wider between the molars. Push it through gently, work it in and out two or three times, then rinse it under the tap. Once a day is enough, and night-time, before you brush, is ideal.
Floss is for contacts too tight for even the narrowest brush. Wrap it round the tooth in a C shape and ease it just below the gum, then repeat on the neighbouring tooth. Water flossers are good around implants, bridges and fixed braces, but they don't scrub the surface the way a brush does, so treat one as an extra.
Brushing That Reaches the Gum Line
- Two minutes, twice a day, with fluoride toothpaste. The night-time brush counts most, because your mouth dries out while you sleep
- Tilt the bristles at about 45 degrees so they sit half on the tooth and half on the gum
- Small circles or short jiggles, two or three teeth at a time, rather than sawing back and forth
- Light pressure. Pressing hard flattens the bristles and, over the years, wears gum and root away
- Follow a set route round the mouth (outside, inside, chewing surfaces) so the same spots don't get missed every day
- A new brush or head every three months, or as soon as the bristles start to splay
The places most people miss are the tongue side of the lower front teeth, where tartar builds fastest, and the gum line behind the last molars. Spend a few extra seconds on both.
Want a Routine Built for Your Mouth?
Book a hygiene visit with Simra, our hygienist.
Electric or Manual Brush?
Both work when they're used properly. In practice, a decent rotating or sonic electric brush makes a good job easier: you guide it slowly along the gum line and it does the scrubbing. Most buzz at the two-minute mark, so you don't stop short, and a pressure light warns you when you're pressing too hard. If you prefer a manual brush, choose a small head and soft or medium bristles. Hard bristles remove no more plaque, but they do more damage to gums.
If Your Gums Bleed
Keep going. Bleeding isn't a sign that you're being too rough. It means the gum is inflamed, because plaque has been sitting against it. The natural response is to avoid the sore spot, which leaves more plaque there and keeps the bleeding going.
Clean the area gently but thoroughly every day, including between the teeth, and you should see the bleeding ease within about two weeks as the gum tightens and turns pale pink again. If it carries on, if it's heavy, or if your gums are sore, swollen or pulling back from the teeth, book a visit. There may be tartar holding the inflammation in place, or early gum disease, and both need professional cleaning.
Toothpaste and Mouthwash
Any fluoride toothpaste does the essential job. After brushing, spit out the excess and leave the rest on your teeth; rinsing with water washes the fluoride off before it has done anything. For the same reason, if you like mouthwash, use it at another time of day.
Mouthwash can't replace a brush, because plaque is a sticky film that needs physically wiping away. Strong antiseptic rinses are useful for a week or two after gum treatment if Simra suggests one, but used for months they can stain teeth brown. If you have sensitive teeth or get a lot of decay, ask at your visit which toothpaste to use.
Habits and Health That Affect Your Gums
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Smoking and vaping | Cuts blood flow to the gums, so they bleed less and you lose the early warning, and it slows healing. Gum disease moves faster in smokers |
| Diabetes | Raised blood sugar makes gums more prone to infection, and inflamed gums make blood sugar harder to control |
| Pregnancy | Hormone changes make gums react strongly to plaque, so swelling and bleeding are common |
| Medicines | Some cause a dry mouth, and a few make the gums overgrow. Tell us about anything new |
| Snacking | How often you eat sugar matters more than how much. Keep sweet things to mealtimes |
| Stress and poor sleep | Lower your resistance to infection, and often mean cleaning gets rushed |
Implants, Aligners, Bonding and Veneers
Dental work needs the same attention as natural teeth, and sometimes more. The gum around an implant has a weaker seal than the gum around a tooth, so infection can travel down to the bone faster. Clean round the implant crown, use an interdental brush on each side, and thread one under any bridge. We give a 5-year guarantee for non-smokers who attend hygiene visits every 3 months, which tells you how much the cleaning matters.
Brush before every aligner goes back in, otherwise you're sealing plaque against your teeth for hours. With bonding and veneers, the join at the gum line is where stain and plaque collect first. A polish at your hygiene visit keeps that edge clean, and it helps the bonding last.
When to Book a Hygiene Visit
You don't need to wait for a dental examination. Book in with Simra if your gums still bleed after two weeks of careful cleaning, look red or puffy, have started to recede, if your breath stays unpleasant, or a tooth has started to feel loose or drift. Thirty minutes with Simra costs £70, and a hygiene visit that includes Airflow polishing is £100. 1
Both are included in our dental plans: Plan A covers two visits a year and Plan B four. If your gums are tender, Simra can numb them before she starts. Most people come away with a clearer idea of which brush sizes to use and which teeth need more time.
Questions
This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. A dentist needs to examine you to say what is right for your teeth.