Building Confidence With Dental Beauty

There are certain autoimmune disorders that make it impossible to kill off bacteria in your mouth. The most common of these disorders are HIV/AIDS, hepatitis A/B/C, and diabetes. As such, you might have to visit a dentist much more often to address bacterial infections in your gums and mouth. To help with this particular problem, your dentist might suggest that you incorporate one or more of the following into your dental/oral hygiene practices. 

Detoxifying Toothpaste

​Detoxifying toothpaste helps kill some bacteria below the gum line. It has shown to be helpful to people who do not have autoimmune disorders or diseases. That means that it can help you in your situation. At the very least, it cannot hurt.

​Antibacterial Mouthwash

​There are mouthwashes that have been around for decades that can kill bacteria in your mouth. Any one of these mouthwashes can help. You will know that they are antibacterial because A) it says so on the label, and B) the mouthwash tingles to a slight warming or burning sensation. Follow the swishing and rinsing instructions on the bottle to get the maximum effect. 

Prescription Mouthwash

​A dentist may also prescribe a prescription-strength antibacterial mouthwash. This mouthwash is not something you can buy from a pharmacy or grocery store. It has a much higher content of medicine that kills bacteria in your mouth. It is specially designed for people who have high amounts of bacteria in their mouths and have a much more difficult time killing bacteria through standard oral care because of their health and medical issues. Talk to your dentist to see if this a product that can help you, and whether or not he/she is willing to prescribe it for you. 

​Change Your Toothbrush Often

​For people in your similar situation, dentists recommend changing your toothbrush often. Every week or every two weeks, you should throw away your current toothbrush and start using a new one. This is because the excess bacteria you are trying to brush out of your mouth can build up on your toothbrush and contribute to your oral hygiene problems.

No one cleans a toothbrush with soap and water or bleach. Ergo, the bacteria accumulate and grow. This is the main reason why dentists recommend throwing away your toothbrush (or toothbrush head if you have an electric toothbrush) every six months. In your case, it would need to be more frequently. A dentist, like those at Carpenter Dental, will tell you how often in order to help you control the excess bacteria you have.