Tips For Brushing Your Teeth With Braces
“We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do.” ~ Mother Teresa
When it comes to your braces you might be shy to smile, while it might take time to get used to the way braces look and feel, there is no reason to feel self-conscious. In fact, one of the best ways to become more confident with wearing your braces is to keep them healthy and clean. Taking care of your braces might be more difficult but once you get used to a routine it should be fairly easy. Taking care of your braces now is essential for how your teeth will look when they come off. Avoid unsightly stains and further complications with the recommendation of your orthodontist.
Here are some tips for maintaining and keeping your braces as healthy as possible.
Prevent damage
Your braces are ultimately meant to improve your smile by correcting your bite, misaligned teeth, and possible overcrowding. Unfortunately, braces open up a lot of spaces for food to become trapped which causes plaque and other problems. Knowing this is half the battle so you should be spending more time on your dental hygiene.
Brush and floss after every meal
Rinse with water before brushing to loosen any particles
Hold your brush at a 45-degree angle to clean around the wires and pins of your braces. Brush from the top of each wire down to the bottom.
Rinse and check your teeth
Visit your orthodontist regularly
Watch what you eat
When you have braces you have to be more cautious about what you eat to avoid build-up on your teeth and foods that are damaging to your braces. In general, you should try to avoid the following foods. If you insist on eating these foods, try to break them up into small, bite-sized pieces.
Popcorn
Carrots
Pretzels
Gum
Beef jerky
Sugary foods
Apples
Nuts
Hard candy
At Tri-Cities Orthodontics we stop at nothing until our patients’ smiles are full of confidence! Visit our welcoming, family-oriented team who will attend to your every orthodontic treatment need. To schedule an appointment please call (276) 642-0043 or complete and submit our request form. Our scheduling coordinator will contact you to confirm your appointment.
Sources:
https://oralb.com/en-us/oral-health/life-stages/braces/how-to-take-care-of-braces