Whether your teeth are crooked, straight, or in the process of being straightened, gum disease is one of the most significant threats to the health and integrity of your smile. Like tooth decay and cavities, gum disease develops when patients allow dental plaque to accumulate en masse on their teeth and along their gum lines. If the issue progresses, patients who wear braces may have to interrupt their orthodontic treatment to deal with gum disease before extensive damage occurs. LA orthodontist, Dr. Alpan, not only offers a variety of braces to fit all of our patients’ needs; he also helps educate patients on maximizing their oral hygiene to keep their smiles healthy as well as straight.
A Close Eye on Mouth Germs
Everybody’s smile relies on proper daily attention to remain clean and healthy. Your toothbrush and floss are essential to controlling the buildup of sticky dental plaque, which consists of over 600 different kinds of oral bacteria. Some of these germs pose serious, specific threats to your oral health, such as targeting sensitive gum tissue through harmful toxins and excessive inflammation (swelling). As a progressive issue, gum disease continues to grow worse until treated, and in its most severe form, it can destroy the tissues and structures that support healthy teeth.
Signs and Consequences of Gum Disease
As oral bacteria infect your gums, the irritation typically results in redness, swelling, and bleeding (usually while brushing your teeth). However, the beginning symptoms of gum disease don’t usually include discomfort, and many patients mistake the lack of pain as a good sign. As gum disease progresses, the infection and inflammation can destroy the gums that protect your teeth’s roots, and eventually reach the jawbone that supports them, leading to tooth loss in severe cases.
Improved Hygiene with Your LA Orthodontist
Traditional braces involve brackets attached to each tooth and connected by arch wires. The components can often make conventional dental hygiene more challenging, and without proper care, they can increase your risk of developing gum disease and other dental health issues. Dr. Alpan provides case-specific instructions for proper hygiene while wearing braces, as well as an interdental cleaner to reach around, between, and behind the brackets and wires.
About Dr. Alpan:
With offices in Los Angeles, and Century City, Alpan Orthodontics has proudly served patients and their families from all surrounding communities since 1999. To schedule your orthodontic consultation, contact our Los Angeles office at 213-933-9171 to find the location nearest to you.