Is It Safe to Wear Braces With Periodontal Disease? - Pavlo Orthodontics

Orthodontic treatments have a significant impact on overall health. What happens in your mouth can affect your whole body positively or negatively. A healthy mouth and well-aligned teeth have a direct effect on your life.

Poor oral hygiene habits can cause severe infections. When oral infections are left untreated, they can easily contaminate other body parts and organs. A patient’s gum disease should be taken seriously to prevent further complications.

Lots of people do not know that gum infections, like periodontitis, usually thrive due to inappropriate dental cleaning processes because problems related to dental hygiene are not restrictive to people who never wash their teeth or people who never floss.

It’s not uncommon to find patients who brush their teeth twice a day religiously and floss occasionally – but they have gingivitis.

Sometimes gum diseases manifest because your teeth tend to have hard-to-clean nooks due to crowded teeth. Crannies are hard to clean; food gets stuck in them, and so do the bacteria. After a while, the patient has developed plaque, and their gums are probably inflamed and bleeding.

For orthodontic patients with braces, flossing and brushing can turn a little harder than expected, and this is why you need to be aware of periodontal disease.

Periodontal Disease

Gum disease or gum infections are medical conditions related to the tissue around your teeth. The term periodontal disease refers to a wide range of issues that go from mild to severe.

Gingivitis is the first stage. It’s easier to treat, but periodontal disease can cause many problems from this early stage. Swollen gums, bleeding, and bad breath are a few of the symptoms.

Periodontitis is a much more serious stage since the tissue around your teeth is receding, causing tooth loss. Keep in mind this is caused by an infection – when you have reached this stage is because the problem has escalated and has become a serious health concern.

Studies show that the bacteria infecting your mouth can travel through your bloodstream and have negative effects on other organs. Severe gum disease is even linked to the risk of strokes.

If your gums bleed for no apparent reason or you have swollen tissue around your teeth, please plan to visit your dentist as soon as possible to prevent any further damage.

Can Periodontal Disease Aggravate With Braces?

Periodontal disease is a serious condition in which your teeth and health are at risk. Gum infections impact bone and cause loose teeth.

Since most orthodontic appliances work through force and pressure, starting braces treatment in these conditions would endanger your dental health.

You can still receive appropriate treatment for periodontal disease in its most severe stages. If you want to start alignment treatment with conventional braces but have gum disease, visit your dentist and be patient until your mouth is ready.

Tips to Prevent Gum Disease

• Brush and floss: add a reliable toothpaste to the tooth-brushing routine, and become friends with waxed dental floss.
• Visit your dentist even if everything seems fine with your mouth. A checkup with your dentist once a year keeps periodontal disease away.
• Revise your diet: sweet foods and drinks are not good for your teeth. Reduce your consumption of these.

Do Braces Produce Periodontal Disease?

Wearing braces or orthodontic appliances cannot cause any type of gum disease. Periodontitis or gingivitis is the direct result of poor dental hygiene, genetic factors, and habits like smoking.

However, we mentioned having brackets can add a little complexity to your dental cleaning routine. But a patient who is thorough and cautious with their habits should be safe from worries.

Gum Disease During Braces Treatment?

What to do if you develop gum disease while wearing brackets? Although this scenario would be bad news for the orthodontist and the patient, it’s not uncommon, and it can be treated. It’s difficult for an orthodontic patient to develop periodontitis while regularly visiting their dental office. Your orthodontist will probably notice something is going on with your periodontal tissues and refer your case to a specialist.

A periodontist can evaluate the damage and propose a treatment plan according to your needs. The stage of the infection and the existence of periodontal pockets are to consider.

Proper Hygiene During Braces

Once again, brushing and flossing are paramount. You cannot miss brushing your teeth twice a day. For orthodontic patients, it’s recommendable to wash their teeth three times per day.

Dental plaque creates the perfect environment for gum disease, and regular flossing helps prevent plaque, so there you go. Try self-threaders if you find conventional flossing difficult. They are designed to make the whole process easier, and with the waxed version, you will get rid of floss tearing.

Mouthwash can be very helpful, too, and it will also refresh your teeth. Try one that offers more than just scented liquid and has actual anti-bacterial qualities.

And last but not least, reduce your consumption of soda, candy, or sticky foods since they are detrimental to your dental health and can be hard to remove fromtooth’sooth’s enamel.

Visiting Your Dentist Is the Best Way to Prevent Gum Disease

Our team has offices in Peabody and Newburyport, where you can come. Get in touch with us, as we are ready to help your teeth and improve your dental health. Set an appointment today.