Good oral hygiene has many benefits, whether you’re in braces or not. \u00a0Removal of plaque is very important to help prevent tooth decay. Braces provide more surface area for plaque to cling to and hide behind, so it is important to be aware of techniques to clean around these additional surfaces. \u00a0Plaque that remains around braces (or anywhere on the tooth) for too long can cause white spot lesions, which is the initial stage of tooth decay. \u00a0These spots are the result of demineralization of the tooth surface and are a permanent stain the tooth surface. White spot lesions can then progress to dental caries, or cavities. “Fillings” are required to restore cavitated or demineralized areas that have progressed to the point that tooth structure needs to be replaced.<\/p>\n
Plaque that is not removed can also cause gingivitis, which is inflammation of the gum tissue. \u00a0Signs of gingivitis include swelling, redness, and bleeding gums. \u00a0Gingivitis can progress to periodontal disease with progressive bone and gum tissue loss. \u00a0It is important for people to understand that poor oral hygiene is a major cause of bad breathe (halitosis). \u00a0Most often, a person’s senses becomes accustom to their own bad breath and they are unaware that it even exists. \u00a0However, people in their vicinity are usually well aware of this condition. \u00a0When this is explained to teens, it can often be news to improve their oral hygiene.<\/p>\n
The good news is that tooth decay, demineralization, gingivitis, and halitosis are easily preventable. In the next blog entry I will review the best tips and techniques to keep these conditions away from your mouth!<\/p>\n
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Good oral hygiene has many benefits, whether you’re in braces or not. \u00a0Removal of plaque is very important to help prevent tooth decay. Braces provide more surface area for plaque to cling to and hide behind, so it is important to be aware of techniques to clean around these additional surfaces. \u00a0Plaque that remains around […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n