Maintaining healthy gums is critical to keep the overall health of your mouth in good shape. When your gums become diseased, it can cause pain and tooth loss, and the infection can even spread elsewhere in the body. For some people, simply flossing and brushing is enough to keep their gums healthy. However, not all people are that lucky. If you've adhered to flossing and brushing and aren't satisfied with the health of your gums, give this guide a try.

Massage

Massage can be a useful tool for increasing circulation in the body, and your gums are no exception. Careful, gentle massage can help to boost blood flow to the gums, which can improve their health, reduce inflammation, and promote healing in early stages of gum disease.

There are a few ways you can massage your gums. One simple way is to extend your tooth brushing up to the gums themselves. Using very light pressure, gently brush your gums with circular motion. This step can be performed before or after brushing your teeth.

If you want to get serious about gum massage, you can pick up a gum stimulator tool. These tools are particularly useful for massaging the edge of the gumline.

Water Flosser

While standard flossing is good for your gums and teeth, water flossers have been shown to be particularly useful in improving gum health.

Water flossers are easy to use, and studies have found them to be useful in reducing gum bleeding, too. Although most dentists recommend that you continue to use traditional floss, adding a water flosser to your existing schedule can be extremely useful to improve or maintain your oral health.

Time to Call In a Professional

Everyone's oral health responds differently to flossing and brushing. If you're still having problems after employing these new tips, you should get in touch with a dentist.

Oral health can be impacted by a wide variety of things, ranging from existing diseases like HIV to medications you take. While it can be frustrating to have gums that remain irritated or worse while you're trying to take care of them the best way you can, you should know that it doesn't mean the situation is hopeless. Dentists can reverse gum disease and heal gums even when every at-home treatment isn't working as well as you would like. In addition, your dentist can go over your medication list and health conditions to determine if they're to blame for your oral health problems. From there, your dentist can recommend ways to stay on top of your oral health.

If your gums aren't at their best, give these tips a try. Remember to visit a dental clinic regularly to help boost your gum health and to keep your teeth in good shape.