How to Have the Healthy Gums of a 15-Year-Old

It is definitely possible to have the strong, vibrant, healthy gums of a 15-year-old, even if you are a 72 year old. I'm living proof! I just got back from the dentist's office with an excellent report card. The dentist, after examining the "pockets" in my gum line, reported that most of the pockets were sizes 1 and 2, with just a pocket or two that were size 3. This ain't bad for me. I've been told by more than one dentist that I was born with an expensive mouth!

Now in case you're clueless about the pockets in the gumline to which I refer above, let me fill you in. Basically, when the dentist checks the health of your gums, he checks for spaces between your gums and your teeth. These spaces are measured in millimeters, and the smaller the spaces the healthier are your gums. So a gumline pocket of size 1 is quite good, while a pocket that is size 7 is bad, bad news indeed. It indicates advanced periodontal disease.

How to Have Youthful Healthy Gums
I am a relatively new patient of this dentist, and he was quite amazed that my gums were so youthful. He asked me how I kept my admittedly expensive mouth so healthy (he noticed that I have more than a pirate's ransom of gold fillings in my mouth!). I shared my regular dental routine with him. I developed this routine on the advice of my past dentists and based on my knowledge as a Doctor of Chinese Medicine. The routine is simple:

1. Brush and floss 30 minutes after each meal with a sonic toothbrush.
2. Use a water pick 30 minutes after each meal, or at least once a day.
3. Take at least 2 capsules of high-quality coenzyme Q10 daily

It's as simple as that. Using this regimen I have changed the size of the pockets in my gumline from 7s and 8s to mostly 1s and 2s. I've seen the same thing happen for many of my patients, too.

The first two steps of the regimen are fairly simple and common sense. By removing food particles from your mouth after a meal, you don't allow harmful bacteria to grow. You also don't allow food to stay between your teeth and gumline.

The third step is very important from a nutritional stand point. The body needs coenzyme Q10 to maintain the health of both gum and heart tissue. By ingesting this vital supplement, you ensure that your body has the building blocks it needs to maintain and rebuild any damaged gum tissue. I use high-potency coenzyme Q10 from Simplexity because the high potency of this brand means I take fewer capsules. Another brand that is also highly recommended, especially for animals, is Comal.

So there you have it ... a simple regimen you can use to have the gums of a 15-year-old, no matter your current chronological age!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader.

Photo credit: Free Digital Photos