In terms of dental care, braces may require you to go the extra-mile to make sure your mouth stays healthy over this period of time. Trust us– this extra attention to your oral care will pay off.
The American Dental Association and WebMD offer the following dental care tips while wearing braces:
Maintain a healthy diet.
The food and drinks we consume cling to our teeth. Braces complicate this reality because food and drink residue cling to and can build up on the brackets of your braces. As a result, maintaining a healthy diet is key to ensure that sugar does not cause damage to your teeth.
Foods you will most certainly want to avoid (so as to prevent damage to your teeth and/or braces) include: popcorn, corn on the cob, nuts, carrots, whole apples, chewing gum, taffy, caramels, and other sticky or hard foods.
Floss, brush, and repeat.
Daily brushing and flossing is just as (if not even more important) while wearing braces. Be attentive to your daily oral care routine.
To floss, weave the short end of the floss into the space between the upper part of your tooth and main wire of your braces. Gently place the floss between the two teeth and move the floss string up and down to remove any unwanted residue.
To brush, use a regular soft toothbrush and brush in a top-to-bottom pattern on each tooth. Next use your proxabrush (a.k.a. that “Christmas tree” brush) to clear the spaces between each brace. You will want to use several strokes to ensure all unwanted residue has been removed.
For the nooks and crannies, use mouthwash.
If your flossing and brushing is unable to reach certain crevices in your mouth, also use fluoride-containing mouthwash.
If you would like recommendations for brands and/or have any questions, give us a call. Braces can help improve your pearly whites, and we want to be sure that your oral care routine is working to do the same.