Maintaining oral hygiene is necessary at all stages of life, but it becomes even more important for people wearing braces. Braces have been a conventional treatment for correcting orthodontic issues. But they may make it challenging to maintain regular oral hygiene.
Lack of care during the braces treatment period can damage your gums and teeth. Here are easy ways to keep your oral cavity healthy and maintain a beautiful smile with braces.
Use a Proper Brushing Technique
Regular brushing is the core of maintaining healthy teeth and gums during braces treatment. Because of brackets and metal wires, you may find it difficult to brush your teeth. For this reason, our dentists will demonstrate the ideal technique for brushing teeth with braces.
When you have braces, food particles and debris often accumulate between the wires and brackets. If you do not brush daily, they convert into plaque, risking your teeth and gums.
So whether you wear braces for one or more years, brushing twice daily for optimum care is essential.
Use an Interdental Brush
Cleaning the nooks and crevices between teeth and braces with a regular brush is often tricky. You can add an interdental brush to your oral care routine for efficient cleaning.
An interdental brush is a small tool that has soft bristles on its top. It is typically used to clean in between teeth. But it is also beneficial for brushing around the brackets and wires of braces.
You can gently clean around with an interdental brush before regular brushing to clear away hidden food debris.
Floss your Teeth Regularly
Flossing with braces can be very challenging for many teens and adults. It is because the metal wire comes in the way of the regular flossing technique.
For ease, you can use special tools designed particularly for flossing with braces. One such useful tool is a floss threader, which helps you to pass floss easily between your teeth.
A modern form of flossing is a Waterpik or oral irrigator. It releases a thin stream of water at a certain pressure to effectively clean the areas between your teeth.
Rinse Your Mouth After Meals
Food entrapment is a common problem that occurs with braces. As you eat, the food particles hide away in the nooks and corners between teeth and braces.
Since brushing your teeth every time you eat can be difficult, especially when you are outside, the better option is to rinse your mouth frequently. It helps to clear the entrapped food debris and prevent plaque formation.
You can also rinse your mouth with an antibacterial mouthwash for additional protection.
Monitor Your Eating Habits
Our dentist will instruct you to avoid certain foods during the braces treatment as they may dislodge a bracket. Furthermore, hard or sticky food substances such as caramel toffees, popcorn, chewing gum, etc., can be difficult to clean afterward.
Limit the intake of products that contain a high amount of sugar, especially processed foods. Practicing proper biting and chewing habits with braces is also helpful to avoid damaging the brackets or wires.
Attend Routine Orthodontic Appointments
Our dentists will schedule a regular monthly appointment to monitor the progress of your braces treatment. If you miss a dental visit, it may slow down the course of treatment.
If any warning signs are present, we will address them at an early stage during these visits.
To learn more about braces and other orthodontic services, contact Sair Dental at (832) 924-2666 for the 8410 Fondren Road, Houston, TX, 77074 office. Or you can contact 10345 Club Creek Dr, Houston, TX 77036 by dialing (281) 558-1199.