Gingivitis is the inflammation of your gums and it can lead to periodontal disease.  As many as two out of three adults have the early stages of the disease.  It's preventable and if you already have it, you can keep it under control.  The disease can sneak up on you without you being aware. 

You can be vigilant for the symptoms of gum disease.  If your gums bleed while you brush your teeth or even after you've finished brushing it can be an early warning that somethings not right.  Healthy gums don't bleed.

Soft pink gums are healthy.  Red, swollen or tender gums need to be investigated by your dentist.

If you have bad breath or your mouth tastes like the bottom of a bird cage, that's not normal.  Do any of you remember the television commercial that said, "Even your best friend won't tell you."?  The sponsor was advertising a product to eliminate bad breath.  We can only wish it were that easy.

Pull your bottom lip down and take a look at your teeth where they disappear into the gum line.  If you can see the shank of the tooth leading to the root, then your gums are receding.  That's another sign.

When the dentist cleans your teeth, he first scales them before brushing and polishing.  Scaling means he's going beneath the gum line with a sharp instrument to get rid of tartar and plaque.  While he's doing that, he's also looking for pockets between the teeth and gums.  Healthy gums don't have pockets.

Any notice of loose or shifting teeth, you should run, not walk, to the dentist.  That's if you value your teeth.  This warning also includes the way your teeth fit together when you bite down, if there's been a change. 

We all get two sets of teeth but only one set of gums so it's important to take care of them. This is where good oral hygiene comes in. You've probably been told since you were a child that you should brush after every meal. That's good advice but how many people do that.

Brushing your teeth should take a full two minutes to reach every surface. Replace your toothbrush every three months with a new one and that's true if you use an electric toothbrush. Flossing is good but studies show that 40% of the area to be flossed is missed. Prophylactic interdental brushes work well, too. The best tool in my opinion is an oral irrigator used in combination with an antiseptic mouth wash. An oral irrigator forces a high-pressure stream of water between your teeth and the antiseptic destroys bacteria.

It's bacteria that's causing tooth and gum problems and since bacteria is microscopic it can get into places that we can't reach with the ordinary tools we use to take care of our teeth.

First brush your teeth thoroughly. Then pour two ounces of an antiseptic mouthwash in the reservoir of the oral irrigator. Add four ounces of water. Use warm water if your teeth are sensitive to cold. Put the pressure setting on the second lowest. Lean over the bathroom sink with the pick in your mouth and turn on the machine. Starting in the back of your bottom teeth, move the wand slowly along the gumline and between the teeth. At the opposite back tooth begin the process again along the bottom teeth. Then switch to your upper teeth and repeat the same procedure. This should take about one minute.  It is best not to swallow the mixture.