Taking care of one's oral health typically isn't all that difficult, but it becomes another matter entirely when you're dealing with a physical injury or limitation. If you're having trouble with one of your hands or arms, you may quickly find that the simple act of getting through your oral hygiene activities can become a lot more difficult. But you can't just let your teeth and gums start to get unhealthy, either. Here's what you should do if you're having difficulty caring for your teeth or gums.
Electric Toothbrush
One of the best things you can do in this situation is to switch to an electric toothbrush. Electric toothbrushes do most of the physical work for you by rapidly pulsating or gyrating the bristles over your teeth. While you'll still need to slide the toothbrush around in order to reach every corner, you won't have to move the brush as rapidly, potentially tiring out your injured arm or jostling it around if you're using the uninjured arm to do the brushing. This tip is important because if you do a worse job of brushing your teeth for long enough, you're likely to start developing tartar, especially in the hard-to-reach areas. This can quickly turn your oral health for the worse and end up giving you cavities or gum disease.
Water Flosser
Flossing is difficult for many people under even the best circumstances, and it's usually a two-handed job. This can make it very hard to floss when you have an injured extremity.
The good news is that help can be found here, too. Water flossers are a great way of getting the gunk out from between your teeth while still being able to use one hand. In general, water flossing takes less time, too. This will ensure that your gums stay in decent shape until you can get back to your normal hygiene care.
More Dentist Visits
Finally, if you're going to be in bad shape for a while, it's a good idea to go to the dentist more than usual. Even with these tools, there may still be patches in your mouth that don't get the attention that they need. Getting help from a dentist early on can prevent you from having major oral health problems later on.
Brushing and flossing aren't always as easy as they should be. If you're having trouble with it, consult with a dentist for more tailored advice and to get your teeth and gums cleaned for your health.