Dentures: Facts, Figures and Friendly Advice for Seniors

The Danger of Gingivitis When You Have Dental Braces

7 April 2021

Herman Kim

You'll notice the remarkable effects of your dental braces when your orthodontist finally removes them from your teeth. Sure, the most obvious benefits are visible, but there's a lot happening behind the scenes that you don't see. However, some of these invisible effects can end up causing a few problems, which is something that anyone with braces in their mouth needs to know about.

Bone Remodelling

Your teeth, gums and underlying bone are exposed to managed stress when you have braces. You're actually undergoing a process known as bone remodelling, which is when your jaw bone loosens to enable the movement of your teeth, while simultaneously regrowing to support this new position. Your gingival tissue (your gums) will also reposition itself to reflect the changing alignment of your teeth, and it's the state of your gingival tissue that can pose a problem to your dental health.

Additional Stress

While the stress that your jaw and gingival tissues are under is certainly within acceptable margins, it's crucial that you don't inadvertently cause additional stress to your gingival tissues. This is an unfortunate possibility when someone has braces, but fortunately, it's easy enough to overcome.

Biofilm and Braces

The physical presence of the various parts of your braces creates additional surface area in your mouth. This additional surface area can permit the accumulation of bacterial plaque known as biofilm. An excessive amount of this biofilm can aggravate your gingival tissues, resulting in gingivitis, which can weaken the support structure of your teeth and even disrupt the bone remodelling process. 

Oral Hygiene

Gingivitis presents as inflammation, and your gums can become swollen and uncomfortable. The best way to combat the condition is by maintaining an exemplary level of oral hygiene, which can actually be difficult due to the presence of the braces. The type of dental care you performed at home prior to getting your braces will no longer be sufficient.

Specialist Equipment

With braces, it can be advantageous to invest in specialist equipment. This means that you should consider purchasing a sonic toothbrush and a water flossing system or a floss threader at the very least. This will help to dispatch biofilm before it can contribute to gingivitis.

When gingivitis is already present, you might wish to schedule an appointment with your dentist. It's extremely important to reverse the condition since failure to do so can affect the progress of your braces. In extreme cases, braces might have to be removed in order to effectively treat your gingivitis, and it's crucial to avoid this.

For more information, contact an orthodontist that offers services like dental braces in your area.

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