Why is oral hygiene important?
There are two main reasons to maintain good oral hygiene during orthodontic treatment:
- To keep the teeth and gums clean so they won't get cavities and recede away (you'd want to keep your teeth clean for this reason whether or not you are having orthodontic treatment).
- Clean teeth and healthy gums will promote better tooth movement with a healthier result. It may sound absurd, but your body has only so much energy to spend on your mouth so when it's busy fighting decay and periodontal disease, tooth movement slows down considerably.
Extra time is needed with toothbrushing to make sure that all areas around the braces have been cleaned properly. Specialized brush tips are available to help get in between the braces and under the wires. Floss-threaders are helpful in passing floss under archwires to facilitate flossing of the teeth. Oral irrigators are often helpful to dislodge food debris from around the teeth. Over-the-counter mouth rinses can be used in conjunction with oral irrigators to help reduce the level of bacteria around the teeth.
The goal is to remove plaque from around the teeth and gums. It is the bacteria in plaque that is responsible for causing inflamed gum tissue (gingivitis), permanent scarring of enamel (decalcification), as well as tooth decay. Remember, braces don't cause these problems; they just make cleaning the teeth more difficult.
So, we approach this in our office as something that needs our help. Regular check-ups and cleanings are maintained with your family practitioner but in addition we have an oral hygiene program in place that has proven to motivate patients considerably into developing and maintaining good techniques to last a lifetime. Remember, it's not just the straightening of the teeth that is important, but also the education and caring that goes along with getting them there.