Correcting your misalignment with traditional or invisible braces makes oral hygiene more critical because you have more to clean around. Bacteria and plaque can build up around the brackets and wires, leading to tooth decay, gum disease, and other issues.
However, you can properly care for your dental braces to avoid these problems. Brushing more frequently and avoiding certain foods can reduce damage to your teeth and braces.
Caring for your braces will help you achieve a healthy, beautiful smile in the long run, and this guide contains essential tips to help you take excellent care of your dental braces and make the most of your orthodontic treatment.
Various Ways to Care for Your Braces
Getting orthodontic braces is a big step toward straightening teeth. But there is usually much more to do to ensure a successful treatment outcome. Here are comprehensive tips on taking care of your braces to avoid potential problems like tooth decay and damage to the braces.
Brushing and Flossing with Braces
It can be challenging to brush and floss teeth with braces, but you can still do it correctly. Whether brushing or flossing, you must apply gentle techniques to avoid ripping off the wires and brackets. When brushing, you must use a soft-bristled toothbrush that fits into the right corners of the mouth, where food particles hide or stick to tight areas of the teeth.
You can use these tips to maintain a healthy dental care routine with braces:
- Apply the Recommended Brushing Timing: Brush two times daily for about two minutes, and floss with a floss threader at least once a day.
- Use the Right Fluoride Dose: Fluoride toothpaste and fluoridated water can help to strengthen your teeth and reduce bacterial erosion.
- Use Mouthwash: Rinse with mouthwash after meals to remove debris from teeth and braces.
- Avoid Teeth Whiteners: When wearing braces, whitening toothpaste can damage the material and create uneven coloration on your teeth when your braces are finally removed.
Avoid Some Foods and Habits
When you have braces on, you may need to avoid some foods, as they can damage the braces and intensify your dental problems. You can reduce the risk by limiting the following:
Sticky foods like gummies and caramels could cause the braces to loosen.
Sugary treats like sweet snacks that may stick in between the braces
Items that are difficult to chew, like nuts, might damage the braces.
Messy foods like corn on the cob or popcorn usually leave behind some particles.
Protect Your Braces With Mouthguards
Custom-fit mouthguards are typically made for patients involved in contact sports like wrestling and boxing. These kinds of activities can impact the face, causing bracket damage, dental trauma, or mouth injuries. The mouthguards help safeguard the brackets, teeth, and surrounding tissues from injury.
You can discuss getting a properly fitted mouthguard with your orthodontist or dentist to protect your brace and mouth from accidental injuries and ensure a successful orthodontic treatment.
While safeguarding your braces and mouth requires wearing a mouthguard when engaging in sports activities, you can also avoid hard food that causes intense chewing and eat or drink gently to avoid dislodging the wires.
How to Care for Different Types of Braces
Caring for your braces requires attention and persistence, and the approach depends on the materials used in designing them.
Traditional Braces: Brush your teeth and braces thoroughly with a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. You can also clean around wires and brackets using an interdental brush.
Ceramic Braces: These are like traditional braces but with tooth-colored brackets made of ceramic. You can care for them by avoiding items that can potentially cause stains, including red wine, curry, or berries.
Clear Aligners: Invisible braces are the easiest to care for since you do not need to wear them when eating. You can remove your clear aligners to have hot chocolate, sugary treats, or an acidic drink, and brush your teeth right after, before putting them back on.
Common Issues With Braces and How to Fix Them
Damage may still occur, despite your effort to keep your braces protected. But you can also fix them and continue your treatment. Here are common problems and their solutions:
- Loose Wires or Brackets: Braces can break due to hard biting, trauma in the mouth, weakening wires or brackets, and chewing of non-food materials. You can fix the problem by contacting your orthodontist to schedule an appointment to repair them.
- Discomfort or Soreness: During brace adjustments, it is common to experience soreness or pain. However, you can get relief by rinsing your mouth with warm salt water. You could also use topical anesthetics to numb the area or over-the-counter medications, following prescriptions, to reduce pain and inflammation.
- Food Getting Stuck: Food particles can get trapped in brackets and teeth, but you can use interdental floss or a floss threader to gently remove the particles from around the wires and hidden corners of your teeth to avoid damaging the braces.
How Does a Regular Orthodontic Checkup Help?
Regular orthodontic checkups play a crucial role in ensuring the success of your orthodontic treatment. During these appointments, your orthodontist helps by:
- Adjusting Your Braces: During treatment, your orthodontist will adjust them to ensure they are properly aligned and progressing.
- Monitoring Your Treatment Progress: Frequent orthodontic visits help monitor your treatment progress and make any necessary modifications or repairs of loose wires and brackets for a better outcome.
- Preventing Further Complications: Regular checkups allow your orthodontist to identify and address potential oral health complications before they worsen or slow down your treatment.
- Ensuring Proper Fit: Regular checkups ensure that your orthodontic braces fit correctly and do not cause irritation or discomfort during teeth straightening.
Conclusion
Wearing orthodontic braces can be a big step toward achieving a healthy smile, but you must take care of them to ensure an excellent outcome. You can pay more attention to your diet, habits, and oral hygiene for smooth progress. Also, regular orthodontic checkups should be prioritized to monitor progress and address potential issues.