Periodontal disease afflicts the gums of millions of Americans each year. In fact, the American Dental Association estimates that 47 percent of people over the age of 30 suffer from gingivitis or more significant forms of periodontal disease. The unfortunate reality is that periodontal disease is easily preventable. Brushing your teeth twice each day and flossing each evening removes plaque and residual food particles before they can harden into the bacterial-rich tartar.

While brushing your teeth twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush helps clean the faces and contours of teeth, flossing remains the most effective way of cleaning between teeth and along the gumline.

The American Dental Association recommends flossing your teeth once each day. This is best done in the evening after you have eaten your last meal or snack. To thoroughly clean between teeth and along the gumline, it requires special focus and technique. Once you have inserted the floss, you should curve it into a semi-circle. Then, you should work the strand up and down, making sure to also work the floss into the gumline.

You should then advance the floss a fraction of an inch and repeat the same motion for the other tooth. As you clean the space between each tooth, you should also make sure to floss behind each of your rear molars.

Attending your routine dental checkup at [practice_name] is also essential for preventing periodontal disease. This includes a thorough dental cleaning to remove all traces of tartar from your teeth while monitoring the health of your gums.

If you have questions or concerns about how to prevent periodontal disease in Ramona, CA, you can always call [phone] to speak to your dentist, Dr. Malcolm J Boykin DDS, or a staff member at [practice_name].