Swiss premium oral care
Why this guide?
Caring for your gums
You’ve come to the right place if:
- You sometimes feel your gums are swollen or sensitive – or you’ve noticed blood after brushing – and you want to deal with it. Or…
- You want to learn the best ways to care for your gums and prevent gum problems. (We’ve helped millions of people with their oral health – and trained tens of thousands of dentists worldwide in practising prevention.) Or…
- You worry your gums are receding and want to know if there’s anything you can do about it.
Step one
What is gum disease?
Learn about gum disease and the dangers of gingivitis and periodontitis...
Bleeding gums
Maybe you’ve noticed traces of red when biting into an apple. You’re not alone. Bleeding gums are very common. But you must treat it as a warning sign.
Gingivitis
It could mean you have an early stage of gum disease known as gingivitis (other symptoms can include dark red, soft, sensitive gums and bad breath). The main cause of gingivitis is a build-up of bacterial plaque.
IMPORTANT: The good news is that, in many cases, you can deal with and prevent gingivitis by committing to a great oral health routine. (You’ve come to the right place. Please see the steps below!)
As ever, it’s also important to make regular visits to your dentist and dental hygienist.
Periodontitis
When not treated, gingivitis can lead to periodontitis – an inflammation of the tissues that hold in place and support the teeth. If periodontitis is left untreated you risk losing a tooth. Please see your dental professional if you have any concerns.
Step two
Brush the right way
Use a gentle, effective toothbrush with the right technique to keep your gums healthy…
Get your gum health right and you give yourself an incredible foundation for a healthy mouth. A great starting point is to understand the following…
The idea that we should brush hard with a hard brush is simply not true. The sulcus – the groove between the teeth and gums – is a breeding ground for the bacteria that form plaque. But it’s very difficult to clean with a hard toothbrush – hard bristles simply can’t adapt to the structured surface of the sulcus.
This can lead to two unfortunate scenarios.
- The sulcus fills with bacteria and becomes infected.
- Because they find it hard to clean the sulcus with their hard toothbrush… many people scrub the area all around the sulcus using lots and lots of pressure. In this case, it’s possible to achieve a clean, healthy sulcus… while at the same time destroying your gums.
Receding gums
Both scenarios can lead to receding gums.
This exposes the “neck” of the tooth that sits between the crown and the root, which can lead to the pain of sensitive teeth… followed by decay, infection, gingivitis, periodontitis and eventually even tooth loss.
Please see your dentist if you have receding gums.
Fortunately, you can avoid further recession by learning to brush the right way.
‘Gums love this toothbrush’
Gums are soft and need to be cleaned gently. Which is why dental professionals recommend gentle, fine filaments – and lots of them!
The stylish Curaprox CS 5460 toothbrush is so called because it features 5,460 fine and gentle Curen® filaments (instead of conventional nylon) – each 0.1mm in diameter. This is a super-dense, cleaning surface like no other. The CS 5460 is therefore exceptionally effective and ensures no damage to the gums. The CS 5460’s many fine filaments gently and effectively clean the entire sulcus – without causing any injury.
That’s why dentists, dental hygienists and customers all recommend it. It’s also why we proudly boast that “gums love this toothbrush”.
How to brush your teeth
Just as important as using a gentle toothbrush: brushing your teeth and gumline with just the right amount of pressure.
Here’s our essential guide to brushing with the simple – and best – technique.
Use the CS 5460 in conjunction with SLS-free Curaprox Enzycal toothpastes, which support the protective function of the saliva to clean effectively while eliminating the potentially harmful ingredients used in other toothpastes on the market.
This is the way to brush if you want to:
- Keep your gums healthy and clean… and prevent gum problems
- Deal with existing gum problems
- Make sure any existing damage does not get worse
We recommend:
Step three
Go sonic for healthy gums
Consider a sonic toothbrush made for people who suffer from – or want to avoid – gum problems...
So what if you prefer electric toothbrushes? Is it still possible to clean soft gums gently?
Absolutely.
The Curaprox Hydrosonic pro is designed for people who suffer from – or who want to prevent – gum problems.
How to take care of your gums with a sonic toothbrush
As with the CS 5460, it features fine Curen® filaments – working at up to 42,000 gentle brush strokes a minute…
… which you can take right up to the edges of the gums to treat or prevent inflamed periodontal tissue and gums.
We recommend:
Step four
Interdental brushes
Revolutionise your gum care with interdental brushes...
Using interdental brushes – in conjunction with a high-quality toothbrush – will revolutionise your gum care…
… and help you to deal with – or ward off – gingivitis and the risk of periodontitis.
Interdental spaces – the tiny spaces between teeth – are the perfect places for plaque to hide and grow and infect your gums…
… often undisturbed because toothbrushes can’t get in there.
How to use interdental toothbrushes to keep your teeth healthy… and what to expect
For each interdental space…
Go in with the Curaprox CPS prime interdental brush. Then pull out. And you’re done. The bristles have cleaned out the plaque. Rinse your brush. And move onto the next space. Find out more in our full guide to using an interdental brush.
When using interdental brushes for the first time, you may well notice some bleeding. This indicates inflammation.
How to get healthy gums again
Don’t worry. Continue caring for your gums with this routine every single day, before or after brushing your teeth in the evening. After a week, the inflammation and any bleeding should subside. (Please seek advice from your dentist if not.)
Please also see a dental professional to find out which sizes of interdental brush are right for you. If it’s too small it won’t clean properly. If it’s too big it won’t fit in and could hurt your gums.
We recommend:
Step five
Single brush for the gumline
Take gum care to the next level with ‘the solo technique’ brushing method...
The technique was devised by prophylaxis professional Jiri Sedelmayer to clean the gum line with extreme precision and without any harm to the gums.
Making the precise, gentle movements along the gumline – almost without any pressure – takes a little practice. But, once perfected, it’s considered by dental professionals to be the perfect way to clean along the gumline and hard-to-reach surfaces behind the molars.
Take care of your teeth and gums
Now Curaprox has developed the CS 1006 single-tuft brush specifically for use with the solo technique.
It’s a marriage made in heaven.
Plaque and periodontal disease don’t stand a chance.
Happy brushers say they enjoy using the CS 1006 – designed so the brush tuft head perfectly matches the gum line – while reading a good book or watching a movie.
Dr Sedelmayer, who passed away in July 2019, was the founder of the individually trained oral prophylaxis (iTOP) programme, teaching students and dental professionals the correct criteria – and a hands-on approach – for disease prevention. His influence in dentistry cannot be overstated.
We recommend
Further information
Gum care & overall health
Why is gum care so important for your overall health?
There is no question taking care of your teeth and gums leads to better overall health.
If bacterial toxins in the mouth enter the bloodstream though inflamed gums, you could be putting your heart, brain, lungs and immune system in danger.
Dentist and Curaprox Head of Professional Education Ana Stevanović says the connection between gum health and overall health is “a two-way street”.
“The mouth is connected with the rest of our body, and it is time for us to start observing the full picture,” she says.
“There is no oral health and overall health; there is health, period. Good oral health habits, based on mechanical plaque control, can improve the health of the rest of our body.”
