With the holidays, it can be easy to be distracted from being mindful of your dental health. That is why the beginning of the year is the perfect time to discuss your oral health and orthodontic treatment resolutions, such as gum disease and braces, with your dentist and orthodontist.
How to Improve Gum Health:
There are many ways you can be mindful about improving your gum health to maintain a lifelong healthy mouth.
- Brushing twice a day for two minutes each with fluoride toothpaste
- Flossing and/or waterpiking at least once a day
- Use fluoride mouthwash for 30 seconds-1 minute twice a day after brushing
- Regular dental cleanings with your dentist twice a year
- Quit smoking
The Importance of Healthy Gums:
When you neglect proper dental health, this can lead to gingivitis (gum disease), which is when plaque builds up around the gums and teeth. Symptoms include: inflammation, swelling, redness, bleeding, and bad breath. When gingivitis is left untreated, this can lead to periodontitis, a severe form of gingivitis. When periodontitis occurs and is left untreated, this can affect your bones and ligaments inside your gums. Maintaining the healthy habits above is crucial to prevent gum disease and other oral problems.
Braces:
Braces help align and straighten the teeth and jaw, making it so much easier to clean, hence, a healthier mouth! You want to make sure your gums are healthy before starting braces. Braces can make it hard to floss properly. Your dentist and orthodontist can recommend how to floss properly with braces, such as getting a WaterPik. A WaterPik is great for patients with braces because it uses water to floss the teeth and get inbetween hard to reach places that you can’t reach with regular floss when braces are in the way.