Gum Infection between my four top front teeth? Are my braces doing this?!
Question: Hi There, I've had braces for about 7 months now, and due the the moving of my top four front teeth i have found it hard to reach some places and clean it properly. The gums at the back of my top four front teeth are quite red, they bleed when i brush them and i sometimes get a sort of scab thing when i wake up in the mornings. (its wierd and im real scared!) I really HATE my dentist with a passion as she makes me feel really uncomfortable and i have a severe phobia of the dentist anyway so this doesnt help. I went to the dentist about 3 weeks ago and she said everything was fine, but in the past week i have noticed it more. I only brush ones daily, could this be the problem? As i know you're supposed to brush twice daily. It looks a little bit better today, but i still cant really tell and its stressing me out! I've been under loads of pressure and stress at college could this cause it also? I have one of those brushes that brush between my wires which i use everyday aswell!
Answers: Hi There, I've had braces for about 7 months now, and due the the moving of my top four front teeth i have found it hard to reach some places and clean it properly. The gums at the back of my top four front teeth are quite red, they bleed when i brush them and i sometimes get a sort of scab thing when i wake up in the mornings. (its wierd and im real scared!) I really HATE my dentist with a passion as she makes me feel really uncomfortable and i have a severe phobia of the dentist anyway so this doesnt help. I went to the dentist about 3 weeks ago and she said everything was fine, but in the past week i have noticed it more. I only brush ones daily, could this be the problem? As i know you're supposed to brush twice daily. It looks a little bit better today, but i still cant really tell and its stressing me out! I've been under loads of pressure and stress at college could this cause it also? I have one of those brushes that brush between my wires which i use everyday aswell!
The red inflammation could be early stages of gum disease (gingivitis). The only way to treat this is to brush regularly, use a good soft toothbrush and brush 2 times a day, then rinse using a good mouth rinse like neutraflur 5000 which will kill the bacteria causing this.
You obviously care about your teeth if your going to the trouble of having orthodontic treatment so don't waist all this time and effort by neglecting your gums.
They will bleed when you brush for a while and you may have sensitivity or mild pain, but after a week or two it should get better and you'll notice the difference.
Before brushing (which you should do at least twice a day), rinse out mouth with hydrogen peroxide. When it stops "bubbling", rinse with water and brush as usual.
You may be in the early stages of gingivitis (gum inflammation). Bleeding when brushing is one of the major signs of gingivitis.
Braces seldom cause gingivitis. Gingivitis is caused by the bacteria in plaque as it breaks down the tissue in your gums. Eventually your gums can break down, pull away from your teeth, and cause tooth loss. http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/g...
The good news is that your gums can heal quickly. You say you're already using proxabrushes http://italian.jbutler.com/it_img/1612-1... but unless you're using them between your teeth there can still be plaque in there.
You may want to invest in a Waterpik. This is the one I bought when I had my braces: http://www.waterpik.com/oral-health-prod... You can also buy smaller cordless models, like http://www.waterpik.com/oral-health-prod... You can fill these with warm water or mouthwash and they are excellent for cleaning around braces and between teeth.
If you're not using floss, that might help. A floss threader http://www.drmehan.com/images/floss%20th... can help. You tie floss around the threader and use it to pull the floss between your braces, then floss away.
I had braces at age 42 and used all the above objects. Some dentists have samples of floss threaders, but if you don't want to ask, you can buy them in the dental aisle of any store. The Waterpik can cost at least $40, but you can use it after your braces are out and it makes your mouth feel fresh.
Another poster has suggested hydrogen peroxide. I would be hesitant to use it, as hydrogen peroxide can sometimes drive bacteria deeper into damaged tissue.