Is Gum Disease Caused By Being Cute?Most of us wouldn’t mind looking a little more attractive.

So we do things to our teeth to make them look more attractive.

But, according to a new study in the journal Frontiers in Bioscience-Elite, this thing we do to look more attractive can cause gum disease. Which, unfortunately, isn’t so attractive.

But we can do this thing to make us more attractive—if we do it in the right way. And you can cure gum disease too in the process.

A research team from the University of Catania in Italy conducted a review of the already published literature to find out how orthodontic devices compromised the health of our teeth and gums.

They begin by reminding us that the human body, including the mouth, will always host bacteria. Getting rid of all of them simply is not possible. The point is, however, that there must be a balance between the different types of bacteria. A bacterial balance is associated with good health, whereas an imbalance is associated with disease.

Our bodies try to help us by using saliva to wash out food from between our teeth and provide the right alkaline environment in which bacteria remain under control, but we have to do our part by removing food particles and thereby preventing bacterial plaque on our teeth.

Both fixed and removable orthodontic devices cover a lot of our tooth surface and compromise our oral bacterial health in two ways: firstly, by allowing food and consequently plaque to accumulate and, secondly, by interfering with our ability to brush our teeth.

The studies they surveyed yielded the following specific findings.

1. According to many studies, a comparison of the oral bacteria between people with and without orthodontic devices shows a big shift towards unhealthy, harmful bacteria within the first three months.

2. The species that became more numerous after the insertion of both removable and fixed devices included S. mutans or Lactobacillus, which cause caries and white spot lesions. Caries refers to the decay and crumbling of our teeth.

3. In one study, every single one of the subjects with orthodontic devices had an increase in Candida, a parasitic fungus associated with the development of caries.

4. Fixed devices bring about more unhealthy bacteria than removable devices.

5. The unhealthy bacterial balance persists up to six months after the removal of orthodontic devices.

6. There is no difference between the health of ceramic and metal brackets, and most studies have not found that the way the device fastens influences oral health.

7. New aligners are healthier than traditional brackets.

This gives us some good guidance when choosing orthodontic devices. It is better for a device to be removable than fixed, and it is better to use aligners rather than traditional brackets.

But once gum disease has started, what can you do to eliminate it (whether or not it was caused by orthodontic devices)? Fortunately, thousands of readers have saved their gums and teeth using the simple, natural approach explained here…