Question:
What can I do to make sure my gums stay in the best possible shape?
Since with my shorter than normal roots, having healthy gums is even
more important than for people with normal length roots.
Tooth care regimen:
1. Brush morning and night - but I use a manual brush...should I get an
electric? Which one?
BUT, I travel for work (leave mon morning, come back Friday night) so
the electric brush must be portable and fit in a carry on bag for the
airplane
2. Floss - I admit I dont do it as often as I SHOULD. But I will start
doing it nightly...but I think I am doing it wrong, so its almost
pointless.
I put the floss between my tooth and the gum, and pull up along the
tooth, but I never seem to "pull/scrape" anything off. So its like Im
not doing it at all.
3. Tongue scarpping - I do this sometimes, but I doubt it will have
much use for my gums.
Is there anything else I should be doing?
Rinising with Listerine? Hydrogen peroxide?
Vitamins/supplements?
Electric toothbrush? which one?
Answer:
Since you have no symptoms stated for grinding, I assume you are told
you grind. Your dentist should check for signs of abnormal wear for
your age.
Orthodontic treatment certainly can affect the development of the
roots, but this is not uniform. You can not infer that the orthodontist
"rushed" anything--the same orthodontist may well apply the same amount
of force on 2 patients and get 2 different reactions in root formation.
One could certainly argue that root development should be watched more
carefully for signs of disruption and treatment altered accordingly, but
honestly I don't know if interupting treatment will reverse interference
with root formation.
A certain amount of gum recession with age is just about unavoidable.
In fact, there is a term "passive eruption" which is practically the
same thing for normal increasing exposure of the crown of the tooth.
This does not mean you have a normal situation, and as you've recognized
your mouth breathing may be part of the problem.
Some form of regular cleaning in between the teeth is necessary. This
can mean floss, proxabrush, and other devices. You should discuss this,
as well as choice of toothbrush and brushing/flossing technique with
your dentist.
Ok, I know its hard to diagnoise anything through the internet.
But what electric brush do you recommend to your patients?
I know it also depends on individual case, since Im sure different
brushes are better for different teeth.
But overall my teeth and gums are good, no major gaps or
anything...BUT, the gums are receding, and inflamed, and there is that
one spot where the gum disappeared. (Anything I can do for that?)
So for my case, what would be a good portable electric toothbrush?
Hell if its really good, doesnt have to be that portable, I'll pack
less stuff in my carryon to fit the toothbrush, if its really good. (Im
that concerned)
By the time you're getting ready for college, root formation is almost
complete (except for the third molars), so rushing at that age wouldn't
likely hurt the roots (rushing isn't likely to help the tooth movement
either,but that's another thing).
As far as gum recession, a good general diet for your body will be a
good diet for your gums.
The two primary causes of gum recession are periodontal disease and
poor brushing/flossing technique. Other possibilities are traumatic
bite, possibly clenching, and certain anatomical defects called
mucogingival problems, in which the tooth is surrounded by an inadequate
zone of tough gum tissue attached to the underlying bone. Your dentist
should be able to assess which (if any) of these factors are an issue in
your mouth.
I do not recommend specific brushes to my patients. Most of the
studies show mechanical toothbrushes to do a better job than manual
toothbrushes. Most of these studies are sponsored by the toothbrush
manufacturers.
I don't doubt that (on average) mechanical toothbrushes do better. My
take is that the better your oral hygiene is now, the less benefit you
are likely to see with a mechanical toothbrush. I have no objection to
them, but for the record I do not use one myself.
Think of it this way. You are scraping the surface of the tooth, not
cleaning the space. You may not see any large particles coming out, and
if you are flossing regularly that is what I'd expect. Plaque is hard
to see, and most of it is being disrupted by the floss and being rinsed out.
Again, have your dentist or hygienist show you proper brushing/flossing
technique. Best to show them what you do now, and have one of them make
corrections as needed.
