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Heart Health: Don't Neglect Dental Care

Heart disease runs in my family, and I have been determined my entire life to not become a statistic. I eat well, and I exercise every day. I also visit my general practitioner every year for a full health check-up. One day, when discussing my family history of heart disease, my doctor asked me how often I visited the dentist. This was not a question I expected. I told her that I hadn't been to one in a while. She told me that a large part of keeping my heart in good shape was keeping my teeth healthy, and that I should start going to the dentist every 6-months. I researched online and found out how right she was! Now, I never skip a dental check-up. I created this blog to help others with heart problems in their families realize how important dental care is for them.

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Heart Health: Don't Neglect Dental Care

How To Naturally Relieve Infected Gums

19 February 2015
 Categories: Dentist, Blog

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Your gums can become infected due to the build up of plaque and bacteria, and can become very painful for you because of the inflammation. Infected gums will eventually cause sharp pain, bad breath, and bleeding. If you have discomfort that has been caused by infected gums, there are a few natural ways that you can help yourself deal with the pain prior to visiting your dentist. Try implementing them yourself, and it could help you cope with the discomfort.

Garlic

This common kitchen ingredient can help treat infected gums, and be a great way to flavor your favorite dish. This is because garlic contains allicin, which is an all natural anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial agent. Applying a paste made with fresh garlic directly to your infected gums will help relieve some of the inflammation and pain you are feeling.

To make an effective garlic paste, combine the following ingredients together with a pestle.

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic

The ingredients will eventually turn into a paste that is a little bit chunky, but can easily be spread on the infected area of your gums. Try to use the paste two times a day, letting it sit for approximately 15 minutes. Rinse out your mouth afterwards, and you will notice immediate relief.

Tea Bags

If you have herbal tea around your home, it can help relieve inflammation. Tea bags work because they have tannins inside it. Any tea will do; you do not need a specialty tea to see the benefits.

All you need to do is add a tea bag to boiling water, and let it sit for a couple minutes. Remove the tea bag, and place it in your freezer for about 5 minutes so that it can cool down. Then you can use the teabag to apply light pressure directly to your infected gums, and the tannins inside will provide quick relief of your discomfort.

Honey

The anti-bacterial properties in honey will help make an infection go away quicker than normal. Use chilled honey, and apply it directly to the infected gums using a swab of cotton. Let the honey sit for approximately 15 minutes, then rinse your mouth out well using warm water.

While these techniques will help relieve pain and discomfort, you should also be sure to make an appointment with your dentist, one like http://www.thewallingforddentist.com, if you have infected gums. They will be able to diagnose the problem and prescribe a treatment that will help the problem go away for good.