Gum health with braces

[eyecarepro]

I've been in braces now for about a month and a half. My original ortho consult had made notation of my having excellent oral health, due to my religious use of the oral irrigator I have and a consistent nightly flossing ritual, along with regular brushing and rinsing with a non-alcoholic, hydrogen peroxide rinse.
Since I have had braces I have almost completely cut out my flossing regimen because I couldn't get the floss between a lot of the teeth, mainly the bottom ones due to crowding. I heard you should NEVER force the floss, so I just left well enough alone. Recently I started making more attempts to get the floss through the bottom teeth, despite the crowding. I know if I continue to not floss, it could cause a major decline in my gum health leading to periodontal disease. Nothing freaks me out more than the prospect of losing my teeth, so I have persevered in flossing. I noticed that my gums have bled a lot easier, are very sore and a little puffy in one particular area, following my eating mustard with gigantic mustard seeds the other day. I hope there's not a mustard seed caught under the gum- I suppose I'd be in enough pain if that was really the case.
Being as paranoid as I am I scheduled a dentist appointment for Wednesday to have the situation assessed. Meanwhile, I have really been putting my dental wax to good use. I figured that area that's bleeding easily should be protected, especially when I eat so as to not further irritate that area. I've taken to packing a wad of dental wax along a lot of the lower teeth area, including the problem area. It appears to keep food from getting lodged in those areas so they can properly heal and I can get back to flossing my whole mouth again. It acts almost like a band-aid. I've found out the hard way though, that the wax DOES need to be removed regularly to prevent bacteria from getting trapped between the teeth. It seemed so easy to just leave the wax in for a day or two, but I don't suppose it's very hygienic to do that from the results I've gotten. Has anyone else had any issues like this?
So many people neglect their gums. It's doubly hard to keep up gum health with braces. I don't see a lot of threads in this forum relating to gum upkeep and maintenance with braces. For me it's been a pressing issue.

[Sunny]

It's great that you're getting back to your great oral hygiene habits. I've had the opposite to you, as do many adults, and that's an improvement in oral hygiene since starting orthodontic treatment. I guess it's due to learning more about our gums and how necessary they are and therefore the need to care for them.

If gums are not well looked after, they can bleed. When a person starts flossing again, it can take the gums a while to adjust and any problem areas are likely to bleed. I've never heard of anyone using wax like you have, but if it works for you, that's great.

Having braces should make flossing easier, especially as those crowded teeth become aligned. Floss that has the small stiffened end, can sometimes go through at the gum line, and that helps if the bite edges are tight. Having braces will mean that flossing takes a bit longer in the early months, but with practise this will improve and it's possible to do just as good a job as you did minus braces.

Hope your dentist can give you some good tips about getting back to your great oral care. We tell our patients it's all about brushing gently with a small soft headed toothbrush ... brushing the gum area very carefully and not brushing for at least 30 minutes after drinking or eating foods with acid. Using a toothpaste and mouthwash that has fluoride. Flossing once a day with oral B superfloss and using interdental brushes to clean around brackets and between teeth, if you have gaps. Then next two important things we encourage are ... rinse with warm salt water at least once a day and drink plenty of water to keep your body (and mouth) well hydrated.

Good luck with your treatment!

[patchouliii]

... brushing the gum area very carefully and not brushing for at least 30 minutes after drinking or eating foods with acid.


Why? I was curious and what are these acidic foods. I just feel so icky when I don't brush IMMEDIATELY!!

[catgyrl]

I've tried the Superfloss and it still doesn't work well with my teeth (shreds like crazy). If you're still unable to get the floss through (even the Superfloss), you may want to try Crest Glide Threader Floss. It's actually more of a dental tape, than a floss. My teeth are very crowded, too, and shred regular floss like nobody's business. The Glide floss is much, much easier for me to use. As your teeth move around, you'll find flossing easier.

Prior to getting my braces, my oral hygiene was "not good" (to put it mildly). I almost never flossed, and only brushed once a day in the mornings. (Gross, I know...) My gums bled the second I pulled out the floss (haha!) At my cleanings, the hygienist was constantly suctioning out the blood from my bleeding gums. I started brushing and flossing regularly about 2 weeks prior to getting braced, and have continued it for the past 3 months. It's made a world of difference in my oral health. My hygienist even commented that I don't have nearly as much plaque as I used to, and my gums don't bleed when she cleans and flosses anymore. The cleanings would've gone faster, too, except for the fact that she had to maneuver around brackets and wires.

As for the acidic foods, I know that soda is definitely on that list. I don't know of any acidic FOODS, per se, but I'm sure Sunny can fill in the blanks there. Imagine pouring acid on something, and then scrubbing it. You'd do a lot less damage by just simply rinsing with water before brushing afterward.

Sunny's right about everything: drink lots of water; do warm salt water rinses; and keep your teeth clean. My ortho's office said doctor has 2 pet peeves: (1) not using elastics as prescribed, and (2) poor oral hygiene. I've seen him working on young kids (age 10-ish) and he's sent them back to the sink to brush again because they didn't do a good enough job at home.

Good luck to ya!!

-Cathy

[Sunny]

Do some googling and you'll find plenty of good research about the affect of acid on enamel. Basically what it does is wear the enamel away. The recommended way to stop this is to rinse often with water after eating foods with acid in them and not to brush for 30 minutes. Here's a site to check out ... and here's another good one ... and another one ... plus this report makes interesting reading.

Most foods contain some acid ... the worst are citrus, tomatoes, fruit drinks, fizz (soda/pop etc), sports drink etc. I think it's always best not to brush immediately after eating, although for people with invisalign this can be challenginig. I do think it's important to rinse your teeth well with water ... maybe some of the articles will help.

Good luck researching.