Natural Remedies to Help Fight Gingivitis

Gingivitis is the most common type of gum disease with as many as 70 -90 percent of adults in the US experiencing it at some point in their lives. 

It’s pretty rare in young children, but gingivitis can often develop during puberty or early adulthood, and come and go at various times throughout life. 

For most people, gingivitis is usually caused by a buildup of plaque on the teeth and gum line. The good news is that it’s treatable and can be prevented with proper oral hygiene, and remedies that are completely natural.

What is gingivitis?

Gingivitis essentially means ‘inflammation of the gums’. 

When it comes to gingivitis, dental plaque is the main culprit. Plaque is a type of biofilm that’s formed by bacteria in the mouth that settles on the teeth and gumline.

While plaque in itself is harmless, if left untreated, it can multiply and form microcolonies of bacteria, which eventually dominate the plaque and start absorbing minerals from your saliva. 

As the bacteria feed, they release toxins that inflame the gum tissue and actually infect gum cells.  This is the beginning stage of gum disease – gingivitis!

Signs and Symptoms of Gingivitis

Healthy gums are usually pink, taut, and resistant to movement. They are tight to the teeth and have a “turtleneck” collar of gum tissue, where the gum meets the tooth. Healthy gums also don’t bleed when you brush, floss, or eat a crisp apple.

Signs and symptoms of gingivitis include: 

• Swollen or puffy gums
• Dark red or reddish-purple gums
• Gums that bleed easily, especially when brushing or flossing your teeth
• Receding gums
• Bad breath that doesn’t go away
• Tender gums

If you are experiencing any of these early signs or symptoms of gum disease, it’s important you don’t ignore them as they could be a warning sign for other serious issues. Gum disease is associated with a whole host of health problems affecting the whole body, including diabetes and heart disease. 

What causes gingivitis?

As we mentioned before, the most common cause of gingivitis is a buildup of plaque on the teeth, causing inflammation of the surrounding gum tissues.  

Factors that can increase your risk of gingivitis include:

• Poor oral hygiene
• Older age (65 +)
• Smoking or chewing tobacco
• Genetics
• Obesity
• Stress
• Low immunity (for example, in people who have HIV/AIDS or leukemia)
• Taking certain drugs, such as antidepressants and calcium channel blockers used for angina, high blood pressure, and other heart conditions
• Hormonal changes, such as those related to pregnancy, menstrual cycle, or use of birth control pills
• Poor nutrition, especially those with vitamin C deficiency 
• Clenching or grinding your teeth
• Dry mouth
• Mouth appliances that fit poorly, such as braces or dentures
• Having another disease, such as heart disease, diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis

Natural remedies for fighting gingivitis 

Brush and floss regularly (AND correctly!)

It seems pretty obvious but It is absolutely essential that you are brushing and flossing your teeth daily in order to consistently remove plaque build-up. It can take as little as 24 hours for plaque to turn into hard calcified tartar or calculus, which, by then, can only be removed by metal implements.  So the key is to remove plaque during it’s beginning stages when it is soft and fragile. 

When brushing, we recommend that you use a soft toothbrush to not aggravate your gums. If you’re using an electric toothbrush make sure that the bristles are soft (fortunately they are for most brands) and that you do not use too much pressure when brushing. Be aware to pay particular attention to the gum line.

Flossing is very important so as to get in between the spaces where disease starts to take hold.

We also recommend interdental brushes to remove plaque from the hard to reach areas.

Nutrition from food and supplements 

A well-balanced diet may supply you with enough vitamins and minerals to have good oral health. However, for a lot of people, it may be difficult to obtain enough vitamins or minerals from just their diet alone, and may need some extra help with additional supplements.

Vitamins to include in your diet either via eating or through supplements include: 

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin B complex
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin K

Other beneficial supplements:

• Probiotics
• Zinc
• Magnesium
• Calcium
• Iron

“A diet with at least six to eight fist-sized servings of fruits and vegetables, along with nutritional supplements of calcium, vitamin D, vitamin C, magnesium, and anti-inflammatories such as fish oil, are all critical building blocks of oral health.”
– Dr. Lisa Marie Samaha

Our article, “Fantastic Four and Why We Need Them,” offers some delicious food choices that can specifically help to fight gum disease.

While maintaining a healthy diet, it’s important that you cut down or completely eradicate processed foods and sugar from your diet as they feed the bacteria that cause gum disease. 

Use our all-natural tooth and gum formula

As you know, we are big advocates of natural healing remedies and practices so that your body can be restored back to its natural balance and begin to heal itself.

Here at Good-Gums, our intention is to bring people back to basics by using simple, raw, and natural ingredients that were once used before artificial ingredients and before harmful chemicals got added to what most people clean their teeth with today.

This is why we jam-pack our herbal tooth powder with 100% natural ingredients sourced from the purest places on the planet. 

Our Good-Gums formula soothes sore gums and supports healthy tooth enamel, while also counteracting acidity in the mouth and neutralizing bacteria that cause plaque buildup.

This little bottle of nature’s goodness is designed to absorb into your gums, putting back all the vital nutrients that are necessary to get your teeth and gums back in tip-top shape!

For maximum results, massage Good-Gums into your gums before continuing with your regular tooth care regime. Use a soft toothbrush when brushing with Good-Gums and floss as usual. There’s no need to rinse as Good-Gums is completely safe to ingest due to its completely pure, natural (and delicious) ingredients.

If you would like to try our all-natural tooth and gum formula please click here.

Remember, what’s good for your gums is good for you!