Gingivitis and Braces: Signs, Causes, and Prevention

People with malaligned teeth often are willing to improve their smile. And braces are the solution to it. You can get a beautiful straight smile with braces. Having a perfect smile builds your confidence. But anything good comes with a cost. While orthodontic treatment treatment with braces on, you may struggle with using a toothbrush and flossing properly to clean your teeth.

This can compromise your oral hygiene. When you don’t clean the plaque on your teeth regularly, it forms a thin, invisible, sticky film over the tooth surface. If left untreated, gingivitis can progress to more severe gum diseases and even tooth loss.

Bacteria results in a minor gum disease called gingivitis.

Gingivitis is contagious; however, there are several gingivitis treatment options available. If you are undergoing orthodontic treatment and notice the signs of gingivitis, you do not need to wait for the completion of the orthodontic treatment. You can treat gingivitis while receiving orthodontic treatments, so read this blog to learn more.

A] Early Signs and Symptoms of Gingivitis with Braces

Some of the gingivitis symptoms that develop due to improper cleaning while wearing braces are as follows:

• Mobile teeth
• Noticeably bad breath
• Swollen gums with redness and irritation of gums
• Sensitivity or tenderness of gums
• Mild bleeding from gums while brushing and flossing

However, these symptoms of gingivitis differ from case to case as everyone’s body is different. In all cases, it is not necessary to notice all the symptoms. So it is always advisable to contact your orthodontists if any signs are visible.

Natural risk factors for gingivitis

There are certain natural risk factors that increase the chances of the occurrence of gingivitis. They are as follows:

• Age: most prevalent among teenagers and in the older age groups
• Hormonal changes: this is for female hormonal changes taking place during their menstrual cycle, pregnancy, or due to the use of birth control pills.
• Family history: if your parents had gingivitis, you are at a higher of developing it.
• Diet: deficiency of vitamins B12, C, and D causes gingivitis
• Genetics
• Health conditions like fungal and viral infections
• Compromised immunity, such as in AIDs, cancer, leukemia, etc

Aside from these factors, the most common cause of gingivitis is an accumulation of plaque over the teeth which, if not removed, develops into calculus with time. If you wear braces, your gums are already under stress due to the pressure of braces to reposition the teeth. Gums respond to this stress by inflammatory reactions like swelling and redness. Thus, what causes gingivitis while wearing braces is the combination of plaque accumulation due to the inability to clean teeth properly and. the inflammatory response of gums under stress aggravates gingivitis which is like the gum’s immune response.

B] How to prevent gingivitis while wearing braces?

Prevention is better than later wondering how to cure gingivitis with braces. The following preventive measures can protect you from contacting gingivitis with braces:

1. Avoid sticky and sugary foods.

You should avoid consuming sugary and scratch-containing foods as plaque easily forms with these contents. Sticky food gets stuck to the brackets of your braces and is difficult to remove. They contribute to the formation of bacteria which can end up causing gingivitis with braces.

Avoid eating hard food as it can damage your braces, and you will have to visit your orthodontist. So while you’re wearing braces, you should avoid hard and sticky foods like fruits, crispy pizza bases, sticky chocolates, hard dry fruits, and other such food items. Instead, opt for eating fibrous food as they have cleansing properties, and dentists also prefer drinking water after every meal because this will clean the remnants of your meal.

2. Eat vitamin-rich foods

Your dietary habit also affects your oral health. Deficiencies of vitamins B12, C, and D in your diet are the contributing factor to the development of gingivitis. Usually, people wonder whether a diet can affect their oral health. The answer is yes; maintaining a diet can affect your oral health.

For example, inadequate calcium intake can cause cavities in teeth, excess sugar consumption can lead to decay, and other nutrient deficiencies can also affect oral health. So to avoid any periodontal diseases, you should consume a balanced diet. And be aware of the best and worst foods for your teeth.

3. Make healthy lifestyle choices

Discontinue certain habits such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and drug use, as they are highly responsible for causing gingivitis. They reduce the flow of saliva in the mouth, so the self-cleansing action in your oral cavity is reduced. This ultimately causes bad oral hygiene resulting in the development of symptoms of gingivitis. You also need to maintain certain oral hygiene habits like brushing twice a day, using floss to remove food particles, and also gargling with water after every meal. These habits will help to maintain good oral hygiene and prevent swollen gums with braces.

4. Opt for Invisalign (Invisible Braces)

If you already have issues with practising routine oral care and are doubtful about maintaining good oral hygiene with braces, then you can opt for Invisalign, as you need healthy gums for braces. This is a good alternative, even for adult braces. The removable device helps straighten your teeth and is easy to remove while brushing and flossing, allowing you to maintain good oral hygiene and reduce your chances of contracting gingivitis. You may be able to avail of this service at one of the best dental clinics that is Sunshine coast Dentist.

5. Maintain good oral hygiene

Maintaining good oral hygiene is the key to preventing gingivitis, while poor oral hygiene is the prime cause of the development of various gum diseases. Maintaining good oral hygiene can be challenging while wearing braces, as it can get difficult to use brushes and dental floss effectively. So patients with braces should follow some oral care habits like drinking water with meals, taking a healthy diet, using an antibacterial mouthwash, rinsing the mouth with warm salt water, and using a waterpark.

Conclusion

Gingivitis is a common type of gum disease that happens due to bacterial formation on teeth. This bacterial accumulation causes irritation of the soft tissues, i.e., gums around the teeth, and this results in redness, swelling, and tenderness of gums. These are the signs of gingivitis, and braces can contribute to this. However, it is a curable disease. You need to maintain good oral hygiene and get your dental checkup done regularly to avoid any oral problems.

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