As we get older, we’re often prone to more oral health problems. This isn’t necessarily a factor of age, but rather of our years of dental habits catching up with us. You see, if we take really good care of our mouths throughout our lives, we don’t necessarily have to suffer from oral health problems like swollen gums or gums that bleed.

Both of these common mouth problems are related to bacteria in the mouth. When we don’t rid our mouth of all the bacteria daily, we cause plaque to form. This plaque leads to gingivitis. Swollen and bleeding gums are both common symptoms of gingivitis, which affects most people at some time in their lives.

When your gums start to swell around your teeth, it’s time to take action. If you haven’t had a professional dental cleaning in the last six months, see your dentist. Professional cleanings remove the plaque that has already hardened on your teeth.

Once you’ve had the plaque removed professionally, it’s important to keep it from returning. To do this, you need an effective oral hygiene routine and you need to follow it faithfully. Brush at least twice a day. Floss at least once, before you brush. And, for best results, use an anti-bacterial rinse a few times a day, too. Rinses can get to areas that it’s hard to reach with a brush or floss.

When you follow these steps regularly, you should be able to rid your mouth of the bacteria that leads to gingivitis and other problems. If you follow a routine like this all along, you can usually prevent problems like swollen gums.

For some people, switching to all natural oral care products can really help. Many people are sensitive, for example, to the detergents found in typical toothpastes. In some cases, this sensitivity may even be the cause of your swollen gums.

All natural oral care products, especially those made from oil of mint can often be better choices for keeping your mouth clean without having to worry about the additives found in commercial toothpaste and mouthwash. Oil of mint is a powerful anti-bacterial and also leaves your breath smelling great.

With a little diligence, you can almost certainly prevent swollen gums. And, avoiding this early symptom of gingivitis also means avoiding more serious dental problems, like periodontal disease, down the road. You’ll be glad you took action before you developed a problem.