Dental hygiene is extremely important for everyone, but when we talk about orthodontics with braces it is even more relevant.
Poor hygiene can delay – or even paralyze – orthodontic treatment, it is very easy to suffer from it since orthodontic appliances make it difficult to brush our teeth. Therefore, we must be very careful and try to maintain a clean and healthy mouth to finish our treatment without added oral health problems and thus avoid setbacks.
How and when to brush
The most important thing is that after eating any food or at least three times a day, the patient should brush his teeth and braces thoroughly until they are perfectly clean.
It is necessary to emphasize that all surfaces should be brushed: in front, behind, above and below the wires and, above all, at the junction of the tooth with the gum. Always keep the teeth and appliances in the gum line clean; otherwise, they will become inflamed and painful, making brushing difficult.
At first it may seem difficult to perform proper cleaning when wearing braces, but with a little practice it is very simple.
If the patient uses a manual toothbrush, he/she should be instructed to place it perpendicular to the tooth surface and make a rotating movement (making small circles). The brush should be tilted to clean all the surfaces of the tooth. The area between the bracket and the gum, where a large amount of food accumulates, is very important.
There are other instruments that facilitate hygiene with orthodontics, we will talk about them later.
Next, we will look at some of the consequences of poor dental hygiene:
1. Inflammation of the gums:
Redness and bleeding is usually the clearest sign that there is tartar accumulated under the gums and/or around the brackets. And although the first reaction is not to touch the sensitive and painful area, the solution is just the opposite: we must insist more with the toothbrush with a correct technique in the inflamed area to remove food debris and the gums return to their natural state.
2. Decalcifications and stains when removing the appliance:
When the food debris that adheres around the brackets is not removed the bacteria present in the tartar begin to demineralize the tooth enamel; this is what we call decalcification and its most visual consequence is that, when the appliance is removed, definitive white stains will have formed (they cannot be removed) around where the bracket was previously located.
3. Limitación de los movimientos dentales:
Cuando se acumula placa dental y ésta se solidifica en forma de sarro alrededor de las encías, se produce una limitación de la capacidad de los dientes para moverse, de manera que el tratamiento ortodóncico no está consiguiendo su principal objetivo y vuelve más lento el tratamiento.
4. Caries.
Es la enfermedad bucodental más común y, por lo tanto, los brackets no lo ponen fácil a la hora de la higiene y si no realizamos un esfuerzo extra intentando eliminar esos restos de comida acumulados, la caries será la consecuencia más probable. Teniendo esto en cuenta, en Makeover se sugiere altamente no comenzar un tratamiento ortodóntico hasta haber eliminado todas las caries o cambiado todas restauraciones viejas y desajustadas por restauraciones nuevas y comenzar sin rastro de caries.
Chronic gingival enlargement.
Gingival hyperplasia or gingival enlargement in patients with orthodontic treatment usually occurs due to prolonged exposure to dental plaque caused by poor oral hygiene. In many cases the gingival enlargement can be so extensive that it covers part of the bracket. To eliminate this condition, gum trimming must be performed to remove the enlarged tissue.
How can I maintain proper hygiene?
Here we share with you these tips that you should use to avoid the previous problems we have seen:
Dental floss, but adapted for orthodontic wearers. Thanks to its rigid tip and spongy surface, it is easier to access the interdental spaces and nooks and crannies of the brackets.
Interdental brushes are also very useful for those spaces inaccessible to a normal toothbrush. In addition, they have different thicknesses classified by color to choose the one that best fits your interdental area.
The irrigators are devices that throw water and air pressure, they will help you remove food debris that remain stuck between the brackets and do it in a comfortable and simple way. These are the number one recommended in Makeover, specifically the Waterpik brand, with this device food debris and plaque are removed more efficiently, using it once a day helps patients with orthodontics, implants or dentures, such as crowns or bridges to keep your mouth healthy in general and around the prosthesis.
A deep and detailed cleaning professionally performed will guarantee the removal of plaque and tartar from places where the toothbrush can not reach, this is generally recommended in patients with orthodontics every 4 to 6 months depending on the hygiene of each person.
At Makeover Dental Studio we can help you take care of your dental hygiene. One of the most important factors in orthodontic treatment is the professional and constant monitoring by the specialist, warning the patient when a condition is detected, either caries or inflammation of the gum to solve them early. If you need a consultation, do not hesitate to call us and get in touch with us, we will be happy to advise you at makeoverdentalstudio@hotmail.com or at our phone numbers MX (664)634-2023 / EU (619) 202-0423.