Many of our patients who have braces are not fans of the maintenance. Those of us in the dental field consistently tout the importance of flossing. Flossing is important to remove the food, debris and bacteria growing between our teeth and around our gums. The lack of flossing leads to the development of cavities between our teeth, gingivitis (gum infection) and periodontitis. Periodontitis can lead to loss of the bone that holds your teeth in place leading to tooth loss. :( So what do we do if we want to protect our gums and teeth and dread the daily chore of flossing? Luckily there are a variety of products available online and in stores that can expedite the process and make it easier on the rest of us. Handheld orthodontic flossersThese handheld orthodontic flossers have a smaller tip that may fit in between teeth. Eliminating the need to thread the floss through and simplifying cleaning. Interdental brushesThese brushes can fit into tighter spaces and do a good job of removing plaque and food between teeth and around braces. WaterflosserThis is great if there are multiple family members in braces or need a waterflosser to help clean around implants and bridges. The unit is more pricey, but each family member can get their own tip and make use of this great cleaning tool.
3 Comments
As dental care providers our focus is to keep teeth healthy and aesthetic. The goal is to maintain that beautiful smile as long as we can and be able to eat comfortably later on in our lives. Many people have nighttime clenching or bruxing habits that can introduce microfractures in our teeth and erode the enamel layer. This can cause loss of tooth structure, chipped enamel surfaces and compromise the health and appearance of our teeth over time. In addition to the potential accumulation of tooth structure loss, teeth can also slowly shift over time, leading to noticeable misalignment after a while. I always recommend the use of clear essix retainers or depending on the severity of the bruxing habit, a combination of upper nightguard and lower essix retainer to prevent loss of tooth structure and tooth movement. This will ensure the likelihood of our teeth staying stronger and straight. One of my favorite tips to give my patients is to keep a bottle of hydrogen peroxide at home. It's an affordable cleaning and disinfectant to use for retainers. Soaking them once a day for an hour disinfects and prevents odor on clear Essix retainers and Invisalign aligners. The important thing is to always brush your teeth and make sure they are free of plaque and food debris before placing your retainers or aligners back on. Once the plaque and food contacts the retainers or aligners, its sticky surface will make it very hard to clean off. One side benefit to hydrogen peroxide is that it also fights gingivitis. If you live near Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, Chino, or Wildomar, CA you can get the finest dental care from the caring and experienced dentists at Upland Dental Implant and Orthodontics. |
Archives
August 2021
Categories
All
|
Upland Dental Implant and Orthodontics
LocationsUpland - 1268 W. Foothill Blvd Upland, CA 91786 (909) 981-4111
Rancho Cucamonga - 11328 Kenyon Way Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91701 (909) 945-5800 Chino - 14335 Pipeline Ave #A Chino, CA 91710 (909) 902-0800 Wildomar - 34859 Frederick St Suite 106 WIldomar, CA 92595 (951) 678-9888 |
Services
|