Understanding Dental Pain and Bacterial Infections

Posted on: 20 January 2017

If your teen has ever experienced any kind of gum disease or infection, then they may have weaker gum tissue. If this is the case, then getting a single implant will be tricky. In order to make the implant process smoother, your teen's dentist may suggest bone grafting. A bone graft procedure involves placing additional gum tissue in the area where the implant will be placed. This ensures that the implant will not fail. After the procedure is complete, it is important for your teen to take special care of the surgical site to fight off infection. Luckily, there are a few tips that you can use to help them do this. 

Include Antibacterial Herbs in Your Teen's Liquid Meals 

After the bone grafting is complete, your teen will be put on an all liquid or fluid diet. This is done to promote healing and prevent the surgical sites from opening up. Soups, smoothies, and broths are a few common foods that can be eaten during this time. In order to keep bacteria away, you can add antibacterial herbs to these liquid meals. Peppermint, rosemary, thyme, and cinnamon are a few antibacterial herbs that can be added to soups, transformed into teas, or incorporated in broths. If used regularly, these herbs will help to kill off bacteria while your teen eats. You can pick up the fresh form of these herbs from your local grocery store.

Incorporate a Water Floss into Your Teen's Dental Routine

Your teen's dental routine will need to change a bit after the bone grafting procedure. One of the first changes your teen will notice is that they will not be able to use a toothbrush immediately after surgery. In addition, using traditional floss can disrupt the surgical area. In order to keep their gums and teeth clean, then they can turn to a water flosser. The water flosser is not as aggressive as a toothbrush or string floss. However, it still removes food and any other buildup. The water flosser works best when concentrating the water on the areas that need cleaning for at least a few minutes. Once done, your teen can rinse their mouth with warm water to get rid of any additional debris.

If your teen experiences a bacterial infection after their bone grafting for a single implant, then this can be time-consuming to deal with. Therefore, click here for more info about how to prevent any type of infection and use these tips.