Oral Thrush in People with Braces

People who have braces, dentures, plates or any other form of dental work in their mouth have a higher risk of developing oral thrush. If you do have to use dental devices such as these, you have to ensure that your level of oral hygiene is above average. Follow these tips to ensure that you never have to deal with the pain or discomfort of oral thrush.

Oral thrush is caused by a yeast fungus called Candida albicans. This micro organism is actually present in most people’s mouths and bodies. Most of the time your body is able to keep the Candida amounts in your mouth under control, but people with braces have more risk of developing thrush in their mouth due to the Ph levels and good bacteria in the mouth being affected.

When you wear some of these dental devices, you need to follow the advice of your dentist on how to look after your oral hygiene. They will recommend different steps for you depending on your individual circumstances. Generally, however, you should brush your teeth after every meal. This helps to remove any left over bits of food and bacteria from in and around your teeth. There are also special interdental devices that you can buy from your pharmacy or dentist. Normally people would use floss as well to get rid of particles that are stuck between their teeth. When you have braces, you are unable to use floss, so interdental sticks replace floss and you can get around and under the brackets to ensure that every little scrap is removed.

Talk to your dentist about a mouth rinse that they recommend for your particular situation. Many mouth washes, while recommended as part of a normal dental hygiene routine, can actually encourage the growth of oral thrush in certain people because it can alter the Ph levels of the mouth. Alternatively you can make your own mild natural mouth rinse out of salty water or tea tree oil. Tea tree is a natural antifungal, so you can add a couple of drops to a glass of water and then swill it around your mouth.

By having a good level of oral hygiene and drinking plenty of water throughout the day, you can prevent developing oral thrush with braces. If you do happen to notice the symptoms of thrush, you should seek out treatment as soon as possible to prevent it spreading.