How to Care for Your Braces: A Complete Guide
Getting braces is a major step toward achieving a straighter, healthier smile. However, maintaining proper care during orthodontic treatment is essential to ensure the best results and avoid complications. With the right habits, you can keep your teeth and gums healthy while your braces do their work.
Oral Hygiene: Braces create extra surfaces for plaque and food particles to accumulate, so brushing thoroughly after every meal is crucial. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste and consider an interdental brush to clean between brackets and wires. Flossing daily is also important. Special floss threaders or orthodontic floss can make this task easier.
Dietary Tips: Certain foods can damage braces or get stuck in the wires. Avoid sticky, hard, or chewy foods like caramel, nuts, popcorn, and chewing gum. Cutting fruits and vegetables into smaller pieces can also help prevent brackets from loosening or breaking.
Managing Discomfort: It is normal to feel some discomfort after getting braces or after adjustments. Rinsing with warm salt water, using orthodontic wax on irritated areas, and taking over-the-counter pain relief can help alleviate soreness.
Regular Checkups: Visiting your orthodontist for scheduled adjustments and checkups is vital. These appointments allow your orthodontist to monitor progress, tighten wires, and make necessary adjustments to ensure your treatment stays on track.
Protecting Your Braces: If you play sports, wearing a mouthguard can prevent damage to your braces and teeth. Avoid habits like chewing on pens or fingernails which can weaken brackets and wires.
The professional and highly skilled team from Islington Dental Clinic is here to help with all your orthodontic needs. With expert guidance and personalized care, you can enjoy a safe, comfortable, and successful braces journey toward a beautiful, confident smile.
Oral Hygiene: Braces create extra surfaces for plaque and food particles to accumulate, so brushing thoroughly after every meal is crucial. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste and consider an interdental brush to clean between brackets and wires. Flossing daily is also important. Special floss threaders or orthodontic floss can make this task easier.
Dietary Tips: Certain foods can damage braces or get stuck in the wires. Avoid sticky, hard, or chewy foods like caramel, nuts, popcorn, and chewing gum. Cutting fruits and vegetables into smaller pieces can also help prevent brackets from loosening or breaking.
Managing Discomfort: It is normal to feel some discomfort after getting braces or after adjustments. Rinsing with warm salt water, using orthodontic wax on irritated areas, and taking over-the-counter pain relief can help alleviate soreness.
Regular Checkups: Visiting your orthodontist for scheduled adjustments and checkups is vital. These appointments allow your orthodontist to monitor progress, tighten wires, and make necessary adjustments to ensure your treatment stays on track.
Protecting Your Braces: If you play sports, wearing a mouthguard can prevent damage to your braces and teeth. Avoid habits like chewing on pens or fingernails which can weaken brackets and wires.
The professional and highly skilled team from Islington Dental Clinic is here to help with all your orthodontic needs. With expert guidance and personalized care, you can enjoy a safe, comfortable, and successful braces journey toward a beautiful, confident smile.