5 Essential Pointers for Maintaining Your Braces

If you plan to get braces quickly, you need to be prepared to take more initiative in taking care of your teeth, as there will be difficulties afterward. Braces have numerous spaces to trap food, which can cause plaque when overlooked. Moreover, this might also result in numerous oral issues that will be more difficult and discomforting. Taking care of dental health is very vital, particularly when you have braces.

You’re in the right place if you just had your braces and need to know how to care for them. Now, let’s talk about the ways to care for your braces.

How to Care for Your Braces

Braces can do much more than give you a confident smile; they can align your teeth and effectively fix dental problems. To make the most of it, we’ve detailed five effective pointers to take care of your braces.

1. Brush daily

For people with braces, following the two-by-two plan is important to maintain. This means brushing two times daily for two minutes each. Pick a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. Carefully brush your teeth for two minutes from the line with a slow, circular movement downwards.

To guarantee your teeth are brushed from every corner, move your toothbrush under the wires as you clean. When you’ve done this process to the top set of your teeth, do the same with the lower set.

2. Rinse with mouthwash

If you’ve been using fluoride toothpaste, have you tried using fluoride mouthwash? Fluoride can stop tooth decay and makes your teeth resistant to acid attacks from sugars and plaque bacteria in the mouth. So ensure to gargle this for a minute to rinse your mouth every evening before sleeping to prevent cavities. Doing this every night is enough. No need to rinse after meals.

3. Watch what you eat

Always be aware of what you eat, particularly if you wear braces. Plaque can build up around the brackets every time you eat starchy and sweet foods. Additionally, these can stain teeth and trigger cavities and gum illness when neglected. Foods that are chewy and sticky, like corn on the cob, dried fruits, caramel, chewing gum, and taffy, can get stuck in the braces and be challenging to eliminate.

Hard foods must also be avoided. Foods like nuts, beef jerky, and popcorn can misalign the wires of your braces and loosen their brackets. The same goes for healthy foods like carrots and apples. Because of their hard texture, they can be bothersome to the wires. If you prefer to eat the foods enumerated, cut them into small pieces.

4. Check the mirror regularly

Check your teeth and braces in the mirror as soon as you finish the previous steps. Look closely to ensure no stubborn bits or debris are stuck behind or overlooked when brushing and rinsing. Also, check if wires are sticking out of place. Checking your braces can help you recognize problems easily and notify your orthodontist quickly.

5. Frequently see your orthodontist

Frequent visits to your orthodontist for adjustments are necessary if you have braces on your teeth. After every routine orthodontic adjustment, you might feel minor discomfort or tightness in your teeth. But if you notice the pain or discomfort is not dissipating or becoming more extreme many days after, consult your orthodontist instantly.

Regular visits to your general dentist are also vital while undergoing orthodontic treatment. This will help stop cavities and gum disease and give additional protection to tooth surfaces, which can be helpful while wearing braces.