It’s normal to have sensitive teeth after receiving braces, but what about swollen gums? Since puffing up and turning red is one way your gumline can warn you about the presence of gum disease, you might be more than a little worried! Before you panic, read this post. There are multiple reasons why you could be experiencing this discomfort, and with a few helpful tips, you can find relief for your symptoms.
Possible Causes of Swollen Gums
While inflamed oral tissue can certainly be a sign of gum disease, there are other possibilities – especially since you have braces. Here are a few examples:
- The pressure exerted by your braces is designed to nudge your teeth into more ideal positions as gently as possible. That said, the ligaments and gum tissue around your pearly whites are likely being moved as well, and swelling is a common – and natural – response to this.
- If you’re not brushing and flossing as thoroughly as you should be, bacteria build up and leftover food particles could be irritating your gumline. This can lead to gum disease in the future, so it’s important to make sure you’re spending extra time on your oral hygiene!
- Certain health conditions and habits can also affect your gums. Diabetes is known to increase inflammation, for example, and smoking can seriously damage your oral tissue.
Generally, if your gums puff up right after you first receive your braces or after getting the wires tightened, it’s probably a normal response to your orthodontics. If, on the other hand, the swelling persists, it’s time to contact your orthodontist!
Alleviating the Irritation
As promised, here are some tips for alleviating swollen gums:
- A cold compress and over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen are effective at reducing inflammation caused by tight braces.
- If you’re having trouble cleaning your teeth, that’s completely understandable. It’s hard to wash away debris when there are metal brackets and wires in the way! Tools like pre-threaded floss and interproximal brushes can help you scrub hard-to-reach places more easily.
- For health or habit-related swelling, schedule regular appointments with your primary care physician and orthodontist, and don’t hesitate to reach out to your support network.
Having swollen gums while wearing braces can be concerning, but with some help from your orthodontist and useful resources, you can get to the bottom of things and manage oral inflammation.
About the Author
Dr. Nathan Larson is a board-certified orthodontist (and jedi knight!). His experiences straightening teeth abroad and in the US honed his skills to incredible precision (some might say he’s as meticulous as a passionate sushi chef). If you’re concerned about swollen gums during your braces treatment, don’t hesitate to call Dr. Larson – fighting off evil (and bothersome oral symptoms) is his specialty! To contact his office, call 623-400-3234.