Tips To Help You Take Care Of Your Braces

Wearing braces can be a big change for anyone, especially a teenager. To help prevent damage or stains to your teeth, you'll need to take good care of your teeth and use good oral habits. Your orthodontist may give you some helpful tips to help prevent damage to your teeth as well. See below for some tips as well to keep your teeth clean, free of stains, and in good shape while wearing braces.

Brushing Properly

Brushing your teeth properly will help prevent stains to your teeth. Rather than brushing in the usual up-and-down motion and flat against your teeth, turn your toothbrush at an angle so it can reach between the wire and all around your brackets. Angle it up at the bottom of your teeth, then angle it down at the top of your teeth. Be sure to brush your teeth twice daily for two minutes, and clean your teeth after meals to get rid of food particles stuck in between your brackets and wires. This may require bringing a toothbrush and small, travel-sized toothpaste with you to school (or work).

Use The Right Tools

Get an interproximal brush, which is a cone-shaped brush that helps get in between the wires of your braces to remove food particles. Also, using a floss threader may help get in between your teeth, since flossing with wires can be quite difficult. A waterpik can also be helpful in removing food particles in hard-to-reach areas. Look at your local pharmacy for these tools, or ask your orthodontist about these items.

Eat Properly

Avoiding high-sugar foods and drinks can help prevent stains to your teeth. Limit coffee, soda, tea, sports drinks, and other high-sugar beverages. Be sure to drink plenty of water to help rinse your teeth throughout the day and to keep your mouth clean. Also avoid foods that can damage your brackets such as whole apples, corn on the cob, hard candy, ice, taffy, and popcorn. These foods can break your brackets or wires, which can result in extra trips to the orthodontist. Eat foods such as milk and dairy, fresh fruits such as berries, corn off of the cob, cut-up apples, whole grain breads, and fish. All of these foods are good not just for your oral health, but for your entire body as well. 

Take good care of your braces and your teeth to avoid extra trips to the orthodontist and to prevent damage to your teeth.


Share