Oral Health Tips for Patients with Braces
Keeping your teeth clean and sparkling with braces is a difficult task, to say the least. It seems many believe it’s either impossible or close to it to keep clean, bright teeth and healthy gums with wearing braces. This couldn’t be farther from the truth! Use these tips and tricks to keep a clean, bright healthy smile while wearing braces:
Brushing
Properly brushing with braces is a combination of spending a proper amount of time doing it, and using an effective technique. Remember – people with braces have to brush and floss differently than people who don’t.
Angle your toothbrush at about 45 degrees to your teeth from the top and bottom sides of the brackets, and quickly move your brush back and forth using small strokes. It’s vital that you spend a minimum of 2 minutes brushing, 2 times a day to get a complete cleaning. It’s also a smart idea to invest in an electric toothbrush, many of which come with specialized heads just for those with braces! This will allow you to really get in between those brackets when brushing. *Note – do not simply let your teeth go unbrushed while you have braces! This will certainly lead to decalcification (or a breakdown of tooth enamel), which presents itself in the form of white spots on your teeth. Remember – once enamel is gone, it’s gone for good!
Flossing
After putting on a patient’s braces, many orthodontists will immediately tell them that to floss effectively, they’ll have to thread the floss under the bracket to be able to access every single tooth. While this may seem like a burdensome process, flossing effectively will help ensure the best possible results from your braces treatment, and flossing effectively with braces doesn’t have to be all that complicated!
A far better option to traditional floss when you have braces is a water jet device, which is probably one of the best home oral health products out there. Water jet devices, such as a Waterpik or an Air Floss, uses a stream of pressurized water to blast away food particles from in between your teeth. Not only are these devices very easy to use, but there’s also been a slew of research to prove their superiority to traditional floss!
Another great option is an interproximal brush, which looks a bit like a an expensive pipe cleaner. Buy the smallest one you can find (unless you have large spaces in between your teeth), and gentle push the tip of the bush in between and around your teeth, to go over all those little areas your toothbrush just couldn’t reach.
Inter Proximal Brushing
For those with braces, the use of an inter proximal toothbrush is extremely important. These thin, bristled brushes can easily clean between brackets and avoid plaque buildup caused by remnant food particles! The best part about inter proximal brushes is that they’re very readily available, inexpensive and easy to use.
Foods to Avoid
While this advice applies to everyone, those with braces should particularly avoid constantly snacking on sugary foods, chips or crackers, and drinking sugary or acidic drinks, which includes diet sodas as well!
The most important types of food to avoid, however, are candies. Whether their hard or chewy, candy can very easily become stuck in between brackets and is very hard to remove, leading to tartar build up. With braces, it’s best to avoid candy all together!
See your Oral Healthcare Providers Regularly
Remember to get in and see your dentist every 6 months, and see your orthodontist as recommended. Your dentist will have tools that allow them to thoroughly clean around your braces, particularly in those difficult spots where tartar is bound to build up. They’ll also be able to detect decalcification or gingivitis early on, so you can correct it before it becomes a larger issue. If you or your orthodontist knows that you develop cavities faster than others, talk to them about prescription toothpastes that contain extra fluoride! As always, if you have additional questions about these oral health tips, give us a call at +962 6 593 6677, or visit us online at www.sunnaorthodontics.com!