How to prevent gingivitis and oral ulcers during orthodontic treatment? What should I pay attention to in my diet?

Author: Luo Wei, deputy chief nurse, Peking University People's Hospital

Reviewer: Sun Zheng, Chief Physician, Beijing Stomatological Hospital, Capital Medical University

Orthodontics is a relatively long process, which usually takes 1 to 3 years or even longer.

Figure 1 Original copyright image, no permission to reprint

During the orthodontic period, patients are very prone to mucosal damage and gingivitis.

The main reason is that during fixed orthodontic treatment, brackets, traction hooks, buccal tubes, bands, etc. need to be bonded to the teeth. These small metal parts have some sharp parts, which can easily cause a certain amount of wear and tear on the mucosa. The remaining ends of the ligature wires may also pierce the mucosa and cause mucosal ulcers.

After bonding the brackets, medical staff should inform the patient and his family of things that may cause discomfort to the mucosa in order to obtain their cooperation and eliminate their nervousness. Patients should be informed that if they feel any discomfort, they should not endure it and go to the hospital as soon as possible to remove the adverse factors to avoid further damage to the mucosa. They should go to the hospital in time and ask the doctor to solve the problem.

For patients who are very prone to oral ulcers, you can tell your doctor in advance, and the doctor can give him better protective measures, such as using some mucosal protective wax to seal these sharp parts. For some patients, the oral mucosa turns red when touched, and some ulcer ointment can be used preventively.

Patients undergoing orthodontic treatment also have many dietary issues that they need to pay attention to.

Avoid biting hard food, don't chew ribs, pig's trotters, etc. If you chew hard food, it will cause the bracket to fall off and cause the archwire to deform, which will invisibly affect the treatment and prolong the orthodontic treatment.

Secondly, don't eat sticky or sweet foods, such as rice cakes, milk candies, and chewing gum, because they are difficult to clean. It is also necessary to emphasize drinking less carbonated drinks, because after wearing brackets, it is difficult to clean, or if the cleaning is not timely, it is easy to cause tooth demineralization.

Figure 2 Original copyright image, no permission to reprint

Also, avoid opening your mouth too wide. Don't bite with your mouth open too wide. For example, when eating a large apple, it is recommended to cut the apple into small pieces and put it directly into your mouth.

Also, when adding force during the follow-up visit, inform the patient that he will feel some pain and discomfort in the first 4 to 24 hours. At this time, the bite force is relatively weak, so he should eat some soft food to avoid the occurrence of bite discomfort.

In addition, oral hygiene is the most important thing for orthodontic patients, because the entire course of orthodontic treatment is usually 1 to 3 years. If oral hygiene is not maintained during this period, it is easy to cause gingivitis.

Because brackets are attached to the surface of teeth, it is difficult to clean the tooth surface. Therefore, it is important to emphasize to patients that oral hygiene is very important.

Patients should brush their teeth carefully, after every meal, and use the Bass brushing method. Each brushing time should not be less than three minutes, and horizontal vibrations should be made at least ten times in each area. It is best to use a toothbrush specially designed for orthodontic patients, which can better clean the plaque, soft scale and food residues attached to the patient's brackets. At the same time, orthodontic patients are recommended to use fluoride toothpaste to prevent tooth demineralization.