Even though braces are there to help your teeth be better, there are a few rules that you have to consider following to ensure that your teeth don’t get damaged in the whole process. If you are getting braces soon or already have them on, here are some of the most important tips to follow.
Brush your teeth regularly
There is almost nothing more important when you have braces than ensuring that they are cleaned properly. If you don’t clean them, you can have a lot of plaque build-up as well as enamel deterioration that will end up damaging your teeth. Nothing is more important than following your daily oral health routine. The first and most important thing that you need to do is ensure that you are bruising your teeth at least twice a day. It is best to brush them after every single meal, even if you had a snack. When there is food stuck in your brackets you will risk activities, tooth deterioration as well as stains. The best way to ensure that you are brushing your teeth correctly is recommended that you do it with an electric toothbrush.
Don’t forget about flossing
On top of bruising, flossing your teeth every single day is very important. A lot of kids avoid flossing as it can be a tough and long task. Flossing is the best possible way you can prevent cavities and if the conventional floss is too hard for you, a water flosser is a great investment. When you are done flossing and brushing your teeth it is time to use mouthwash. Using mouthwash can be easily overlooked, even if you have braces. But this step is the thing that will prevent things like gingivitis and help keep the brackets clean.
A lot of people don’t want to get braces because they can be really painful. If you don’t do things correctly, your mouth can get really beat up. That is why you need to ensure that you are using the special wax that will cover the pokey metal parts from tearing up your mouth which will prevent infections. If that is not something that you are willing to put up with, you should ask your dentist if getting aligners is a possible treatment plan.
Don’t Use Whitening Products
As the name applies, whitening products make your teeth whiter by removing the yellow layer on them. Naturally, the brace covers some part of your teeth and does not allow the whitening matter/solution to remove the aforementioned yellow layer. If you use whitening products while wearing braces, you will get bicolour teeth which give you an unattractive look whenever you smile. Moreover, some braces react to whitening products and get loose or break easily as a result of exposure to such products.
Foods You Need to Skip On
When you have braces on you have to prepare to sacrifice some food. If you are someone who loves chewing on ice, that is not something you will be able to do when you have braces as the ice will break your brackets. The second thing that you will need to avoid when having braces are things like gummy bears, taffy as well as caramels. This is mainly because they are very sticky and they are very hard to get off the braces. But that is not all, you need to ensure that you are not eating things like hard chips as well as raw crunchy veggies as these are all things that can break the brackets. But this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t eat your greens, you just need to cut them up into small bites. Another thing that you should add to the list is things like popcorn as well as corn on the cob.
Cut Down on Soda and Other Sugary Products
when you have braces you should do your best to avoid drinking soda. Soda is not only bad for your health but it also damages your teeth. If you just can’t give it up make sure that you are bruising your teeth right after. Along with that, you have to ensure that you give up the sugary treats. There is nothing that bacteria love more than sugar. When you are eating a lot of sugar you are risking your teeth deterioration. Giving up or lowering your sugar intake is the best decision ever, your teeth and body will thank you. But worry not, when you are getting your braces, your personal orthodontic treatment plan will include all the dos and don’ts. As you can see, braces come with a lot of sacrifices. But at the end of the day, all the pain that comes with having braces or aligners is all worth it as in no time you will have a breath-taking smile.
