6 Dental Care Tips for Teeth With Braces
Teeth with braces need extra care to prevent complications like cavities and gum disease. Food particles can easily become trapped in braces, exposing the teeth to bacteria that cause dental disease. Therefore, it is important to pay extra attention to your dental hygiene when you have braces. Discover six dental care tips for maintaining your oral health when you have braces.
1. Brush Your Teeth
When you have braces, brush your teeth regularly to remove any particles stuck on your braces. Brush your teeth after every meal using a soft brush. Using a small brush helps you reach the areas below your braces.
Your orthodontist may recommend a special brush to clean your teeth more effectively. When brushing, angle your toothbrush at 45 degrees to clean the surface of your teeth better. Ensure you also clean the areas at the top and bottom of your brackets. Rinse with mouthwash at least once a day to clean hard-to-reach areas and kill bacteria.
2. Don't Forget to Floss
Flossing is a bit hard when you have braces, but it is necessary for keeping your teeth completely clean. An interdental brush or floss threaders make flossing easier when you have braces. Interdental brushes are cone-shaped, which allows them to reach areas that regular brushes struggle to reach.
Floss threaders are also helpful for reaching tight spaces. Use a floss threader with waxed floss, as it glides more easily over tight spaces than unwaxed floss and does not snag brackets. Be gentle when flossing to avoid damaging your braces.
3. Eat Safe Foods
Braces are delicate, and not every food is safe for them. Eating some foods may loosen your braces or break them, forcing you to go back to the orthodontist. Avoid the following foods when you have braces:
- Ice
- Nuts and pretzels
- Chewing gum (even the sugar-free kind!)
- Hard snacks such as crackers
- Chewy candy such as caramel and licorice
- Hard fruits and vegetables such as carrots, apples, and corn on the cob (unless cut up)
Also, avoid sugary foods and drinks, as they increase your likelihood of having cavities.
4. Protect Your Braces
Besides observing dental hygiene, avoid activities that may result in accidents that can damage your braces. For instance, wear a mouthguard when on the field if you play sports.
Also, avoid using your teeth to open containers. Do not bite on hard objects like pens, and avoid teeth grinding and nail biting.
5. Examine Your Teeth
Check your teeth in the mirror after finishing your cleaning routine to ensure you have not left any particles behind. Check for any areas with loose or broken wires as you examine your smile. Examining your braces helps you identify problems on time, and fix them before they mess up the alignment of your teeth.
6. Do Not Miss Orthodontic Appointments
When you get braces, your orthodontist sets up a schedule for your treatment plan. Ensure you stick to that schedule strictly for a successful outcome. Missing your appointments puts you at risk because you may have undiscovered orthodontic issues that could result in a severe outcome when ignored.
When you visit your orthodontist, they clean your teeth thoroughly, removing plaque that may have built up around your braces. Your orthodontist also adjusts your braces to allow your smile to take shape. Thus, missing appointments may prolong the time you have to stay with your braces.
Braces are an investment in your smile. But, without proper care, you may not get the smile you want. Contact us today to schedule an appointment to install braces and get subsequent dental care.
