Dr. Mark B. Huls provides orthodontic braces in Champaign and Monticello. Dr. Mark B. Huls wants you to know that whether you have metal braces or clear aligners, it's normal for your gums to bleed after getting the braces. Neither excessive bleeding nor continual bleeding is expected, however, so you should seek treatment from Dr. Mark B. Huls if either of these things happens to you.
Why Do Gums Bleed With Braces?
Irritation
The foreign material can irritate your gums and cause bleeding if you have metal or plastic braces. Even if the braces don't directly cause bleeding, they could cause gum inflammation. Vigorous brushing and flossing afterward could further irritate the gum and cause bleeding. As stated, mild bleeding is not usually a problem and usually goes away within a few days.
Pressure
Your braces are designed to move your teeth slowly over time. As they shift, your gums could bleed because the teeth slightly detach from the gum as part of the movement. Over time, your gums will reform around your teeth. With clear aligners, the pressure is generally less than with metal braces, so the bleeding associated with them is most often milder than with the metal.
Adjustments
Your gums will adjust to the pressure of your braces, but when you need an adjustment, they could bleed again as they readjust. This applies to metal orthodontic braces and clear aligners. With clear aligners, however, Dr. Mark B. Huls will provide a new aligner for the adjustments.
Gingivitis
Gingivitis is a disease of the gums. You get it from too much plaque on your teeth, eventually affecting your gums. It's common in people with metal braces because of difficulty when brushing their teeth effectively. Dr. Mark B. Huls will provide you with the right flossing and brushing tools to help you combat gingivitis even if you can't use traditional floss the way you could with clear aligners.
Tips to Prevent Gum Bleeding
Brush and Floss Regularly
You need to brush and floss as often or more than you usually would without braces. Remember to remove your device before brushing and flossing if you have clear aligners. You also have to clean your clear aligners every time you brush. It's essential not to use toothpaste on them, however. Toothpaste contains abrasive materials that help to scrape plaque off of your teeth. These materials are too scratchy for the soft plastic of your clear aligners. Instead, clean your clear aligners with cool water and a soft-bristle toothbrush. Never boil aligners or retainers as this will misshape them.
Avoid the Foods Dr. Mark B. Huls Tells You to Avoid
Sweets are one of these foods. Hard, crunchy things are bad, as well, and include things like potato chips, pretzels, hard candy, popcorn, and crusty bread. Some foods are best to cut up, like apples and carrots. Sticky things can cause pieces of your braces to detach, so avoid those too. When metal braces detach, they irritate your gums, and sprung wires can pierce them. In either case, your gums will bleed. If brackets or wires detach or poke please call the office to have them fixed.
For further information, check out our blog or call the office at (217) 352-4334.