Braces and Oral Hygiene
Philadelphia, PA
 By straightening or aligning your teeth, you can gain easier access to areas of your mouth when brushing, to prevent bacteria from collecting. You must practice good oral hygiene for your braces to do their work of repositioning your teeth.
Personal Braces Cleaning
Brush after each meal to remove plaque from your teeth, to avoid tooth decay and potential gum disease. This is especially important if you have braces, as the wires and brackets give bacteria additional areas to hide and multiply. There’s always the risk of food residue getting caught underneath wires and brackets. If bacteria filled plaque accumulates on your teeth and braces, it can lead to bad breath, inflammation of the gums, cavities, and permanent stain marks on the teeth.
We recommend that you brush after each meal, but if this is not possible, you should rinse your mouth out with water. Swish the water around in your mouth thoroughly and then spit it out. It's a good idea to keep a travel toothbrush with you when you go to school or work. Also, remember to floss at least once a day. Our team will provide you with a special flosser that will allow you to floss with braces. Understanding how to protect your braces is an important factor as well.
Professional Braces Cleaning
You should have dental appointments at least every six months, sometimes more. Professional dental cleanings remove tartar and plaque from areas that are hard to reach when you brush on your own. This also allows the dentist to check for cavities and potential gum disease. Your dentist and dental hygienist can also answer any questions you might have about brushing and flossing hard-to-reach areas of your mouth.
Gingivitis
Gingivitis (gum disease) is the first stage of periodontal disease (gum disease). This phase is usually painless but shows symptoms like bleeding and inflamed and puffy gums. Gingivitis is caused by plaque building up around the gumline. Remember to floss along the gumline thoroughly.
Periodontitis
If gingivitis is not treated, it can turn into periodontitis. Periodontitis is an infection in the supporting tissues (gum, ligament and bone) around the roots of the teeth. It affects the gums and the bone structure and causes them to pull away from the roots of the teeth. This is called recession. Peridontitis can cause tooth mobility and ultimately lead to loss of teeth.
Decalcifications
Decalcifications are permanent stain marks that appear around braces from heavy plaque accumulation. These white lines and spots scar your teeth for the rest of your life, so prevent them by brushing twice a day.
For more information, please contact our office: (267) 703-7877. |
