It’s extra important to keep your teeth clean when you’re undergoing orthodontic treatment!
There’s absolutely no denying that keeping your teeth plaque-free and thoroughly clean on a daily basis is always important, but oral hygiene is even more important when you’re wearing braces.
This is mainly because it’s a lot hard to clean your teeth while wearing braces, which necessitates a bit of extra effort to prevent unwanted problems like cavities and tooth decay. After all, when Dr. Karpac removes your braces at the very end of your orthodontic treatment, you’ll want a great-looking, white smile and not stained teeth with developing cavities!
Below are six important tips to keep in mind to help avoid cavities while wearing braces or Line-M-Up™:
1. Be Sure To Brush Your Teeth After Each Meal
Braces are known for trapping food in between your teeth rather easily, which is why it’s extra important for braces patients to brush their teeth after every meal. The less amount of time that your food sits on your teeth, the less likely you’ll experience problems like potential tooth decay.
It’s always important to spend at least ten seconds focusing on each tooth prior to moving on to the next one while brushing, and be sure that your toothbrush’s bristles are firmly spreading into the gaps between your teeth and your braces. You’ll also need to thoroughly brush around your wires and brackets, and we generally suggest a fluoride toothpaste and soft toothbrush for braces patients.
2. Braces Patients Require Special Cleaning Tools
The interdental toothbrushes that we’ll provide at the beginning of your treatment and during your checkup appointments are always going to be incredibly helpful while cleaning your braces. We highly recommend that you utilize your interdental toothbrush along with your regular toothbrush every time you brush your teeth throughout your treatment process.
Using a WaterPik is also a good idea when you’re in need of extra assistance while cleaning around your braces, and you’ll also need special floss threaders to get in between your teeth as well.
3. Flossing With Braces
It’s absolutely important that braces patients understand how they certainly can and will need to floss while wearing their braces on a daily basis. Although flossing with braces is a bit more complicated, we’ll be sure to show you how it’s properly done at the beginning of your treatment so you won’t be confused later on.
And the floss threaders you’ll need throughout your treatment are generally available at every grocery store right next to regular dental floss.
4. Utilize A Fluoride Mouthwash After Brushing
Once you’ve done a good job flossing and brushing your teeth, you’re likely to still have some food particles stuck on you teeth and braces. This is why it’s also important to use a fluoride mouthwash to thoroughly rinse your mouth and eliminate these pesky, remaining food particles.
And when you’re in a situation where you don’t have access to mouthwash, simply rinsing your mouth with water after brushing can help too!
5. Avoid Troublesome Foods & Drinks
It’s very important for braces patients to understand how they’re only going to be undergoing orthodontic treatment for a short period of time in the grand scheme of things; so although it may seem tedious, you’re always going to be so much better off when you avoid troublesome foods that aren’t good for your braces. And just remember, these foods will be there for you when your braces come off!
We’ll be sure to provide you with a comprehensive list during the initial stages of your treatment detailing the foods and drinks that you should avoid, but some of the main culprits include:
- Soft drinks
- Fruit and sports drinks
- Sticky foods (gum, caramel, taffy, etc.)
- Hard foods (nuts, candy, apples, carrots, etc.)
6. Be Sure To Still See Your Dentist During Braces Treatment
It’s also important for braces patients to remember that they should still see their dentist every six months or as recommended while they’re undergoing orthodontic treatment.
Getting regular dental checkups along with checkups from Dr. Karpac can go a very long way towards fully ensuring that you’re not developing cavities or any other oral health issues.
Contact JK Orthodontics To Learn More About Tips For Braces Patients!
JK Orthodontics has helped countless patients throughout the Columbus area when it comes to high-quality orthodontic services, and our team is always here to help answer your questions and better prepare you or your child for braces or Line-M-Up™ invisible aligner treatment.
Contact us online or call us at 614-766-0330 (Dublin office) or 614-471-6355 (Gahanna office) to get in touch with us and schedule your initial consultation with Dr. Karpac today!