Three tips for preventing stained teeth from braces

It's essential to practise good dental hygiene at all times, but when you're wearing braces, the complete removal of plaque/biofilm is tough to do. Your best defence against stained teeth from braces should include:

1. Limiting certain foods and drinks from your diet, such as sugary or starchy items, high acid fruit drinks, and carbonated drinks. If you are away from home and can't brush your teeth right away after eating or drinking these foods and beverages, rinse your mouth with water to help neutralise plaque acids.
2. Brushing and flossing after every meal. Water flossers are also helpful tools to clean around braces. To make this easier to manage, it is recommended for one to eat three meals a day, avoid snacking between meals and choose tooth-friendly snacks.
3. Choosing a whitening formula of toothpaste that contains stannous fluoride will also help reduce plaque or build-up.
4. Wait 30 minutes after eating to brush your teeth, as this gives your enamel time to settle and your saliva time to wash away the acids left by the food.
5. Regular dental cleanings help remove tartar that you can't eliminate from daily brushing and flossing.

For patients who find they are particularly prone to plaque developing on the biting surfaces of teeth, pay extra attention to brushing and talk to your dentist about the benefits of sealants before getting braces. Talk to the orthodontist to see if this would be practical for you.