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Gingivitis

When you’re savoring a meal or munching on a snack, it’s pretty distasteful to visualize the soft, sticky film of bacteria that’s getting a grip on your teeth. Nevertheless, it’s always there, poised and ready to form a layer called plaque all around your teeth, between them, and even under your gum line. If you don’t brush or floss the film away, it will harden into a substance called tartar, which will eventually irritate your gums and cause them to turn red, swell, and even bleed.

These are warning signs of early gum disease, or gingivitis. Plaque is the number one cause of gingivitis, which is responsible for at least 80 percent of dental problems in adults. In fact, nearly 85 percent of the population has some form of gingivitis.

In the early stages, gingivitis is reversible as long as you conscientiously clean your teeth at home and visit your dentist a couple of times a year for professional cleanings. Untreated, gingivitis can lead to periodontitis, an advanced stage of gum disease that causes receding gums, pockets forming between the teeth and gums, infection, loss of bone, and, finally, tooth loss.

Your best weapons against gum disease are a soft-bristle toothbrush, fluoride toothpaste, and dental floss. To prevent plaque buildup, brush your teeth after every meal and floss at least once a day. Follow that with regular visits to your dentist, and you should be fine, says Meena Shah, D.D.S., a dentist in Lake Grove, New York.

If you’re already practicing good dental hygiene, but your gums are still a little inflamed and bleed periodically, visit your dentist. Meanwhile, you can make some choices about your diet that can reduce the progression of gingivitis.

Eat lots of high-fiber foods, such as fruits and vegetables, and less sugar-laden fare, says Dr. Shah. Dietary fiber acts as a cleaning agent for your teeth. Sugary foods such as cookies, cake, and candy and sticky foods like raisins increase plaque buildup on your teeth and breed bacteria, she says.

Supplements can help, too. Taking extra vitamin C, folic acid, and other nutrients can rev up your immune system to battle the infection, reduce inflammation, and stop the bleeding. Certain medicinal herbs such as echinacea can also boost immunity as well as heal and strengthen damaged gum tissue. Here’s how the supplement lineup can help keep your gums and teeth in tip-top shape.

Combine Vitamin C with Bioflavonoids

One important nutrient that can help heal red, swollen gums is vitamin C. This antioxidant boosts your immune system, brings down inflammation, and speeds up wound healing. In fact, a deficiency of vita min C can lead to gingivitis, which may cause teeth to become loose and even fall out.

Vitamin C has proven to be vital for the production of collagen, the basic protein building block for the fibrous framework of all tissues, including gums. The vitamin strengthens gum tissue and helps the gum lining resist bacteria.

Vitamin C can repair and rebuild connective tissue. "Moreover, it will boost your immune system so that you can fight off the infection," says Liz Collins, N.D., a naturopathic doctor and co-owner of the Natural Childbirth and Family Clinic in Portland, Oregon.

Dr. Collins recommends taking 3,000 to 4,000 milligrams of vitamin C daily in divided doses. As part of your daily vitamin C regimen, Dr. Collins also recommends taking bioflavonoids. Naturopathic doctors believe that these nutrients are very effective at reducing inflammation and repairing and healing gum tissue. They’re strong antioxidants that can prevent damage from free radicals, the free-roaming, unstable molecules that harm cells. Bioflavonoids are also known to boost the effectiveness of vitamin C.

"You should always take bioflavonoids with vitamin C," says Dr. Collins. You can buy a vitamin C and bioflavonoid combination formula or take the bioflavonoids separately.

Two of the most effective bioflavonoids are quercetin and grape- seed extract. Take 1,000 to 2,000 milligrams of quercetin or 100 to 200 milligrams of grapeseed extract daily, says Jennifer Brett, N.D., a naturopathic doctor at the Wilton Naturopathic Center in Stratford, Connecticut.

Folic Acid Treatment

Several studies have shown that folic acid can reduce inflammation, bleeding, and plaque buildup on the teeth when taken in pill form or used as a mouthwash. Research has also shown that it can help treat periodontitis, the advanced stage of gum disease.

"Folic acid is a B vitamin that keeps the cells in your mouth healthy. Your mouth contains some of the fastest-dividing cells in the body, and any cell that divides quickly needs folic acid to replicate properly," says Dr. Collins.

Take 400 to 800 micrograms of folic acid daily to treat gingivitis, she says. You can also make a mouthwash, which some studies say is more effective. Twice a day, empty a folic acid capsule into four ounces of lukewarm water and stir. Swish the solution in your mouth for a couple of minutes, then swallow it, says Dr. Collins. Repeat until you’ve finished the liquid.

Coenzyme Q₁₀ for Healthy Gums

Coenzyme Q₁₀, or coQ₁₀, is a vitamin-like compound found in human tissue that stimulates the immune system. It’s chemically similar to vitamin E and is a powerful antioxidant that helps treat gingivitis and maintain healthy gums and other tissues by increasing the flow of oxygen to cells. Food sources include salmon, sardines, beef, peanuts, and spinach. In Japan, coQ₁₀ is widely used to treat gum disease.

When researchers reviewed seven studies that used coQ₁₀, they found that 70 percent of the 332 people with periodontal disease who took supplements of the substance showed signs of improvement. In one of these studies, the group taking coQ₁₀ showed a reduction in inflammation, receding gums, and tooth mobility.

Dr. Brett recommends taking 150 to 200 milligrams daily if your gums are inflamed and bleeding. As soon as the bleeding stops and the inflammation goes down, you can stop taking it.

Herbal Remedies

Medicinal herbs such as echinacea, burdock root, and Siberian ginseng can help battle a gingivitis infection, says Ellen Evert Hopman, a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild, a lay homeopath in Amherst, Massachusetts, and author of Tree Medicine, Tree Magic. She recommends taking these herbs in capsule form.

Dosages vary, so follow the directions on the label. If the echinacea supplements are 380 milligrams, a typical dose would be one to three capsules three times daily with water at mealtimes. For 425-milligram capsules of burdock root, a common recommendation is to start with one capsule twice a day and build up to two capsules three times daily over a three-week period. For Siberian ginseng, if the supplements are 410 milligrams, a usual dose would be two capsules three times daily. Take these supplements with water, and be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day.

Echinacea stimulates the immune system by galvanizing white blood cell production, Hopman says. It increases levels of a chemical in the body called properdin, which activates the part of the immune system responsible for shoring up defense mechanisms against bacteria and viruses.

Burdock root is a blood purifier that can strengthen immunity to help get rid of the infection and reduce inflammation, says Hopman. Its roots and seeds contain a variety of chemicals and nutrients.

Siberian ginseng, which is mainly used to restore vitality, boost energy, and protect the body from the negative effects of stress, can stimulate the immune system and repair inflamed, tender gum tissue, says Hopman.