Traditional braces help in improving the alignment of your teeth, and the average length of time that you’ll need to wear the braces is approximately two years. During this time, you’ll need to establish an oral hygiene routine that will keep your mouth clean and avoid dental problems such as cavities and gingivitis. Wearing traditional braces can be a significant challenge because they can cause discomfort, hold food particles, and cause dental problems. As such, it’s imperative to eliminate all food and plaque from your teeth and braces to avoid oral health issues.
This post presents essential steps that you should follow during orthodontic treatment to prevent dental problems while wearing traditional braces.
How to Keep Your Clear or Traditional Braces and Mouth Clean
You should brush your teeth at least three times a day to eliminate bacterial plaque and food debris. It’s recommended to use a 45-degree angle with the bristles of your toothbrush pointed towards your gum-line. You should use a round-bristle and soft toothbrush that is tender to your gums. If you have space between your teeth, you should consider using an interproximal brush because it can easily slip under the archwire of your braces.
You should floss daily after brushing your teeth to remove any food particles that get lodged between your teeth. You should use floss threads that can maneuver dental floss between teeth, brackets, and wires.
After brushing and flossing, you should use an oral irrigator with some antimicrobial agents to help in eliminating food debris, plaque biofilm, and other microbes that can give your mouth some bad odor.
Conclude your oral hygiene routine by rinsing your mouth with an anti-cavity fluoride rinse.
The Do’s and Don’ts in Brace Care
You should eat a balanced diet and avoid sticky foods such as caramel, taffy, hard candy, nuts, popcorns, Fritos, pretzels, and jelly beans. You should also avoid sugary foods and drinks because they can lead to tooth decay.
Use wax to prevent irritation around your lips, tongue, and cheeks. Sore spots often occur when you aren’t used to your braces, but you can apply some wax to ease the discomfort as your mouth toughens up and gets used to your braces.
Always use orthodontic mouth guards when engaging in any sporting activities to prevent severe oral injuries when you get hit.
You should cut all the vegetables and fruits into bite-sized pieces so that they don’t dislodge your braces when you take a bite.
You shouldn’t chew on pencils, pens, fingernails, or any hard objects.
Avoid carbonated and sugary drinks such as soda to prevent tooth decay. The oral micro-flora thrives when your mouth gets loaded with sugars and food debris.
You should always brush your teeth after every meal. Food particles often get trapped around your metal braces and such food debris can contribute to tooth decay and bad odor.
An orthodontic exam and adjustments are often necessary as your teeth’s alignment continues improving. As such, you should always visit your orthodontist when there is a need for any adjustment or when there is something broken or loose.
It’s advisable to use painkillers when you get your new braces on to prevent discomfort. You should also eat soft foods in the first few weeks after getting your traditional braces on until the temporary pain and soreness subsides.
Bottom-Line
Establishing a regular oral hygiene regimen is essential when you have traditional braces. Food particles often get lodged in the archwire, ligatures, brackets, or molar bands on your braces. The food debris contributes to tooth decay and bad odor. As such, it’s prudent to maintain proper oral hygiene and avoid any foods or activities that can damage your teeth and braces.
