Go Beyond Clean: Why You Need To Add Gum Massage To Your Oral Hygiene Routine

You know that you need to keep your teeth clean, which is why you brush your teeth twice a day, and see the dentist twice a year. However, you might not know that you should also be massaging your gums. When you think about massage, you probably don't think about your gums, but you should. You might not realize this, but massaging your gums is a great way to keep them healthy. In fact, gum massage should be a part of your daily oral health routine; right along with brushing and flossing. To massage your gums properly, you'll need an oral massage device, which can actually be found on the back of your toothbrush. Many toothbrushes have a textured pad that's designed to provide a beneficial massage for your gums. Here are four benefits you'll receive from massaging your gums at least once a day.

Gets the Blood Flowing

If you want to keep your gums healthy, you need to make sure you've got enough blood flowing through the gum tissue. The best way to do that is by massaging your gums. The stimulation your gums receive during the massage helps to increase blood flow, which will improve the overall health of your gums. Increased blood flow can also help keep your teeth healthy and prevent gum disease.

Increases Saliva Production

If you suffer from dry mouth, you need to start massaging your gums. The additional stimulation helps increase saliva production, which helps keep your mouth moist. Increased saliva production also helps reduce bad breath, and helps aid in the digestion of your food. You can increase saliva production by massaging your gums at least once a day. For maximum benefits, you should be massaging your gums each time you brush your teeth.

Removes Food Particles and Bacteria

If you suffer from gum disease, you've developed small pockets around the roots of your teeth. Those pockets can fill with bacteria and food particles. Unfortunately, the more bacteria and food particles those pockets fill with, the worse your gum disease will become. That's where gum massaging comes into the picture. Gently massaging your gums each day will help remove the bacteria and food particles, which will reduce the effects of the gum disease.

Helps Restore Lost Gum Tissue

If you have gum disease or receding gums, massaging them can help heal damaged tissues. It can also help you grow new, healthy gum tissue. This is particularly important if you're suffering from gum disease since a good portion of tissue can be lost to this disease. To help restore lost gum tissue, be sure to massage your gums when you wake up in the morning, and before you go to bed at night.

For more information on dental cleaning, contact your local dental office.