Home Care for Periodontitis

According to the CDC, half of all Americans over the age of 30 have some degree of gum infection or periodontitis. And many cases go undiagnosed due to irregular dental visits.

Consistent morning/night routines are more important today due to several factors:

1. The majority of Americans have grinding/clenching problems that create fracture lines and abfractions in their teeth. Abfractions are yellowing notching at the gum line due to the tooth flexing under that heavy pressure, indirectly causing gum recession.

2. Flossing is still heavily underused as part of the typical American routine, despite efforts from the American Dental Association. Without flossing, the entire 1/3 of each tooth's surface area between teeth goes unaddressed, allowing sneaky bacteria to attach and snack on sugars to create the acid destroying your tooth, completely unperturbed.

3. Irregular dental visits. Not only do periodontal bacteria create bigger gum pockets and tooth mobility, but they also accumulate in your arteries as arterial plaques and have been recently correlated with stroke. Your gums are part of your OVERALL health. So it is important to visit your hygienist and ensure you have those pearly whites for life!

There are (of course) many other factors. But let's get into what we can actually do about it!

The following Home Care routine is heavily based on Ellie Phillips book Mouth Care Comes Clean: Breakthrough Strategies to Stop Cavities and Heal Gum Disease Naturally. I truly enjoyed this book for its thorough explanations. And although I do not agree with everything, I was very impressed with her home care suggestions and have used this routine myself for the last month.

Home Care Routine (strongly recommended for periodontitis patients)

Use Chlorine Dioxide rinse before brushing/flossing to eliminate anaerobic bacteria

*To ensure that you stop the caries infection completely:

1. Limit consumption of sugary or acidic drinks and foods

2. Use pure xylitol mints/gum after every meal or snack

3. Always begin any tooth brushing routine with a pH-neutral rinse, like Chlorine Dioxide

Brush with Sodium Fluoride on a soft or medium-strength brush

1. With toothpaste in the mouth, floss carefully by making a C-shape around each tooth and moving up & down till it feels smooth. This helps remineralize decay between teeth.

2. Xylitol is essential to keeping your gums and teeth bathed in alkaline saliva

3. Research shows Sodium Fluoride helps mineralize teeth, repair weak enamel, reverse cavities, protect teeth from erosion, and shorten enamel maturation during eruption

Rinse with Acidified Essential Oils

1. Listerine has these (3) active ingredients: eucalyptus, menthol, thymol

2. They penetrate the mouth biofilm, targeting S. mutans (harmful bacteria)

Rinse with Sodium Fluoride

1. This tooth-protective rinse will ensure there is no mouth-drying alcohol remaining in your mouth. Dilute fluoride rinses are ideal to stimulate mineralization.

2. Maximize the benefits of this rinse by not eating or drinking for at least an hourafter completing the routine and spit out the last rinse (no water rinse)

Clean your Toothbrush

1. Toothbrushes should be stored properly between uses in a clean location far away from a bathroom toilet, which can contaminate up to 10 feet (even with the lid down)

2. Clean your toothbrush after every use with an essential oil rinse (Listerine) to prevent reinfection by removing the bacteria from your brush. Then rinse with water before storing vertically to dry bristles between usage

Hope this is helpful! Please leave any comments/suggestions below.