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Of course, the best way to deal with gum disease is to not develop it at all. Fortunately, the things you can do to prevent it are also all things that can help you reverse it. The top three?

1. A healthful diet
   Oral pathogens love sugar, white flour and other simple carbs. By avoiding these and other hyper-processed products you deprive them, keeping them in check. Replace them with more nutritious foods such as fresh vegetables, whole fruit, nuts, legumes, and plenty of healthy fats such as coconut oil, pastured butter and avocado. Opt for organic whenever possible, along with grass-fed or wild meats and raw dairy.




2. Good home hygiene
   Home care is largely a matter of brushing and interdental cleaning. For brushing, we recommend using Sonicare or another electric brush. They tend to give a more thorough cleaning. After you brush, take a dental probiotic like ProbioMax DDS or apply ozonated olive oil to your gums – alternating daily – to keep harmful microbes in check.

   For cleaning between your teeth and under the gums, Waterpik is the way to go. To really flush out pathogens, add 5 to 10 drops of povidone iodine or colloidal silver, or 2 teaspoons of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of sea salt to the water.




3. Oil pulling
   If you’ve tried oil pulling, you already know what a huge difference it can make! Clinically, we see reduced bleeding, inflammation and pocket depth within weeks of a patient adding oil pulling to their home hygiene regimen, and research has borne this out. All it takes is slowly and gently swishing a spoonful of oil around your mouth for 5 to 10 minutes each morning, before you brush. Try it with either sesame or coconut oil. Both are powerful antimicrobials. Just be sure to spit the oil into the trash – not the sink – when you’re done. Spitting it down a drain can clog your plumbing.

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Image from dozenist, GNU

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