How Does Straightening My Teeth Help With Periodontal Disease?

Continue reading to learn how straightening your teeth helps with periodontal disease.

What is Periodontal Disease?

Periodontal disease is a condition that develops due to high amounts of bacteria accumulating beneath the gumline. When proper hygiene care is not being practiced, and when routine professional cleaning appointments are skipped, bacteria lingers on the teeth and gums in the form of plaque. If this harmful bacteria is not removed, it makes its way under the gumline and begins to eat away at the bone and gum tissues. After time, pockets form between the tooth and gum that allow the bacteria to accumulate even more. Without professional intervention from a dental professional, the individual will eventually face the risk of loose teeth and eventually, complete loss of the teeth due to recession of the bone and gums.

Periodontal disease can be managed with thorough cleanings known as scaling and root planings, in which the hygienist removes all signs of plaque or tartar from both the surfaces of the teeth as well as the gumline. After they have done this, they place antibiotics under the gums to ensure that there is no further bacteria growth. These cleanings are done every three months in order to ensure that the condition does not progress.

How Crooked Teeth Can Cause Periodontal Disease

When teeth are crooked in the mouth, the tight spaces between the teeth become almost impossible to reach due to the angulations of the teeth. This makes it extremely difficult to ensure that all surfaces of the mouth are being thoroughly cleaned. Unfortunately, when the alignment of the teeth is not corrected, the individual is likely to eventually develop periodontal disease due to an accumulation of bacteria and trapped food that can not be reached.

How Aligning Your Teeth Can Help

The best way to avoid periodontal disease is to ensure that your smile is completely aligned to allow for thorough cleaning, both at home and in-office.

If you have already been diagnosed with periodontal disease and wish to straighten your teeth, speak with your dentist about what they recommend. Traditional metal braces can make it difficult to reach and clean certain areas in the mouth, which can possibly allow the progression of the periodontal disease over time. Ask your dentist about what they recommend; in some cases, tray-aligner systems such as Invisalign can prove to be extremely useful in situations such as this, as they can easily be removed for thorough cleaning.

Ensuring that your teeth are aligned is not just for aesthetics; it is a proactive step taken in order to prevent periodontal disease, as well. For more information about periodontal disease or teeth straightening treatment in San Jose, give EZ Dental a call at (408) 227-6000.