Braces surely enhance your smile and help you in boosting your confidence. But there is no denying from the fact that it requires extra effort to maintain the braces.
If you have braces on your teeth, you should be ready to spend some extra time on your teeth. You need to ensure that no food particles are trapped in between the braces that may lead to plaque and bacteria build-up.
Adapting to a strict hygiene regime may look tedious at first, but ignoring them may deteriorate your oral issues further or may force you to keep the braces for even longer.
Braces correct overcrowded and misaligned teeth, in addition to giving you a great smile. Misaligned teeth may create loads of problems like impaired plaque removal, gum inflammation, and cavities.
Taking good care of your orthodontic health prevents oral problems and prevents damage to the braces as well. Here is a list of recommendations on how you should maintain your oral hygiene while wearing braces.
Brushing
With braces, you need to brush each time you have food. Even if you are munching snacks, don’t ignore brushing your teeth. The food particles may get trapped in and around the braces, and that may lead to a severe plaque condition.
You may choose a soft brush with round bristles or an electric brush. You must start by rinsing your mouth first with mouthwash so that the food particles are loosened up. It is essential to brush the teeth above the gum line.
While brushing, make sure to hold the brush at 45-degree and don’t forget to clean the brackets by moving upwards and downwards. You need to rinse again after brushing.
Flossing
Regular flossing is as important as brushing your teeth. Flossing removes the trapped food remains from the braces. Here is how an ideal floss should be:
- Cut a decent sized dental floss piece that can be folded around the hands’ index fingers.
- Place the floss in between the brace wire and teeth. Make sure to keep the floss aligned to the gap between the gums and teeth.
- Ensure a proper grip. The floss must not be putting any impact on the braces.
- Gently remove the food particles from the braces and prevent your mouth from developing plaque.
Other Cleaning Procedures
You can use an interproximal or interdental brush for proper cleaning. This brush goes well between the teeth.
Another option is using an oral irrigator. It generates a stream of pulsating water that can remove food debris and plaque from the teeth and braces.
You need to consult your orthodontist regarding the perfect choice of cleaning tools. Your dentist may recommend a different tool according to the type of braces you have. A tool for invisible braces may differ from regular braces.
Watch What You Eat
You must be extra careful about what you are chewing or eating while you have braces. Chewing hard foods can break the braces. Once the braces are broken, it doesn’t adhere to the shape of the teeth and doesn’t give the desired results.
Given below are the foods you need to avoid while you have braces on your teeth-
- You should stay clear off any kind of hard food, including bagels, hard rolls, apples, nuts, etc. You can have them after cutting them into pieces.
- Sticky or sugary foods adhere to the teeth for a long time. These foods can damage the braces and are tough to clean. So, you should avoid sticky foods like caramels, chewing gums, and candies.
- Soda and other Sweet Beverages lead to demineralization of the braces and tooth caries.
- Crunchy foods are the biggest enemies of the braces. Foods that need to be crunched inside your mouth should be avoided at any cost. Some examples are popcorn, ice, and Crackers, and breadsticks.
- High-acidic foods may erode the enamel, and this may result in improper adherence to the braces. Avoiding picky foods and having foods like bananas, mangoes, carrots, and cucumbers can be of much help.
You should have more green leafy vegetables, berries, and raisins. They are easy to break and improve overall oral health.
Use Fluoride
Some degree of tooth decay is inevitable while wearing braces. However, it can also be checked with the use of fluoride.
There are multiple toothpaste and mouth wash options that have fluoride. Make sure to consult your dentist before choosing your oral products.
Use Mouthguards
If you are into sports and anything that involves rapid movements, you should wear mouthguards. It will ensure proper protection of your cheeks and lips from cuts from braces. It will also prevent the braces from breaking if you fall or are hit on the face.
Don’t Miss Dentist Appointments
You need to remember that there are a lot of things that might be going wrong, and we can’t detect them. You need to regularly check with the dentists and check the progress of your teeth aligning process.
Professionals can ensure proper in-office cleanings of your teeth. This may supplement the effort you are giving at home.
Wearing braces for long may impact the color of your teeth as well. If you notice the yellowish texture on your teeth, make sure to take a professional teeth whitening process. Teeth whitening not only checks the stains on your teeth but also detects if you have any erosion of enamel- the outermost layer of your teeth.
Additional Tip
If you don’t have a brush at your disposal, make sure to rinse your mouth with water vigorously (or mouthwash if available). Don’t forget to brush as soon as you get a hold of it.
If you find the braces or wires chafe coming inside your lips, try putting a special wax in between them. You can get the wax from any drug store or contact your dentist for the same.
Just Clean and Smile
Not everything comes easy. Irrespective of the type of braces, you need to devote some extra effort towards your oral hygiene.
Though it would take much time initially, with perseverance, it will become a routine that you will love.