Caring for Braces: You're on Your Way to a Healthy Smile

Are you wondering how to take care of your braces? Proper dental care with braces is similar to your regular dental routine, but with difficulty dialed up slightly.

Removing food debris and plaque from your teeth is incredibly important and sometimes challenging with braces. There are more places for food to get stuck, and it can be hard to reach all the spots you need to clean. Plaque can build up around the brackets of your braces, leading to decay or gingivitis (inflammation of the gums). Luckily, proper care will help you avoid these issues.

Tips for your dental care routine with braces:

• Brush for two minutes twice daily and floss (or use other flossing devices) once daily to keep your mouth in top shape
• Be gentle when brushing and flossing to avoid damaging the brackets and wires.
• Consider using a floss threader to help make cleaning between your teeth easier.
• Use fluoride toothpaste or drink fluoridated water to strengthen your teeth.
• Rinse with mouthwash or mouth rinse to help remove debris
• Skip whitening toothpaste; it will not whiten the area behind your brackets and lead to a difference in your enamel's color upon removal of your braces.

Changing habits can be challenging, but understanding healthier choices is a great first step in your journey. Braces present unique difficulty when consuming some foods, so doing your best to limit or cut them out entirely may be a great option.

Things to avoid to set yourself up for success:

• Avoid snacks like gum, popcorn, or corn on the cob, pretzels, and other messy foods that can get stuck.
• Skip sticky foods like caramels, gummies, and other candies
• Make an effort not to chew hard items that could damage your braces like ice, your nails or pens, and pencils.
• Don't smoke or use tobacco products.

Dental professionals often recommend wearing a mouthguard when you play sports or engage in activities with a risk of damage to your face or mouth. This step is uniquely important for those with braces as a hit to the face could harm your brackets, gums, or teeth.

Those without braces typically wear mouthguards for the top row of teeth. Your dentist or dental hygienist may recommend wearing a mouthguard on both rows of teeth to protect your mouth and braces. Talk to your dentist or orthodontist about getting a properly fitted mouthguard.

Even with your best efforts and intention, things can go wrong with your braces. If you've incurred damage to your teeth or braces, it's vital to see a dental professional as soon as possible. Be careful not to swallow any broken items or try to fix anything yourself. It's best to trust the professionals when it comes to your health. Not to worry, they're prepared to help you.

While taking care of all types of braces requires diligence and attention, there are some differences between available options to straighten teeth.

This article is intended to promote understanding of and knowledge about general oral health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your dentist or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.