When choosing orthodontic correction, perhaps one consideration that is overlooked is periodontal health, or oral hygiene in simpler terms. Periodontal health relates to the supporting structures of your teeth, including your gums, and is therefore vital to your overall oral health. Poor oral hygiene can lead to inflamed gums (gingivitis) which, left untreated, can develop into periodontitis where the gums shrink away from the teeth, causing the ‘long in the tooth’ look and teeth become loose and, if you’re unlucky, lost altogether.
Cleaning Your Teeth with Braces
So how do you clean your teeth properly when you have braces? At About Smiles Dental Centres in Sydney, we find many wearers of traditional metal braces or fixed orthodontic appliances, experience difficulty cleaning around the brackets and find flossing so frustrating that they give up on this altogether. When you consider you are wearing them, in some cases, up to two years, that is significant neglect!
Alternatively… Use Removable & Invisible Aligners
Consider then using invisible braces such as Invisalign or ClearCorrect, a series of clear plastic aligners custom made to orthodontically correct your teeth. While the aesthetic advantages of Invisalign versus metal braces are obvious, the hygiene advantages are just as important. The aligners are removable for eating and cleaning so you are able to clean and floss your teeth as you would normally. Of course this also allows invisible aligner wearers to also eat what they want, unlike with conventional fixed appliances where you are advised to take care with apples, carrots, corn on the cob or any sticky or gooey foods.
Clinical Proven!
In 2015 a 3 months clinical and microbiological evaluation by Levrini, Mangano, Montanari, Margherini, Caprioglio, and Abbate into ‘Periodontal health status in patients treated with the Invisalign system and fixed orthodontic appliances’ was published in the European Journal of Dentistry. Over the course of 3 months, information on patients’ plaque index, probing depth and bleeding on probing was gathered from groups of patients who used Invisalign and patients who used fixed orthodontic appliances. At the conclusion of the study, the group of patients wearing Invisaglign had far better periodontal health than those wearing the fixed appliances. Another good reason to choose clear and removable aligners!
Are you interested in getting orthodontic work to achieve beautiful straight teeth? Book a consultation to see if invisible braces are the right choice for you at About Smiles Dental Centres in Sydney’s Chatswood or Zetland location. Call us on (02) 9415 3555.