Brushing and flossing become more difficult when you have braces, but taking good care of your teeth and gums is definitely worth it. First of all, patients who have great oral hygiene (instructions are below) finish their treatment a lot faster than patients who don’t. Also, making sure that your teeth and gums are clean and healthy while you have braces on will help prevent permanent damage like cavities and stains when your braces are removed.
Flossing
Flossing with braces can be tedious, but you won’t regret it. First of all, if you don’t floss you will develop the gum disease gingivitis, which makes your gums sensitive, red and swollen, resulting in a “gummy” smile. Plus, your teeth will move a lot faster through healthy gums. Flossing daily is recommended to make sure that the plaque in your mouth doesn’t have the chance to infect your gums. Nothing, including mouth wash or a water pick, can replace flossing. Even the best brusher in the world needs to floss daily to have healthy teeth and gums.
How to Floss
Floss threaders are an essential part of flossing with braces. In order to use this handy tool, simply loop a piece of floss through the threader. Use the stiff end of the threader to direct the floss under the wire. Once you have the floss under the wire you can floss normally, gently sliding the floss along the side of each tooth between the tooth and the gums. Make sure you floss between all of your teeth. It is best to floss at night so that your whole mouth is completely clean while you sleep, but if going to bed right away is too tempting, get in the habit of flossing in the morning or after school. We will provide you with floss and threaders throughout your orthodontic treatment, so remember to pick some up at each visit!
To order Platypus flossers, visit:
http://www.platypusco.com/
Brushing
While most people brush their teeth twice a day, orthodontic patients should brush at least three times a day to make sure that no food or plaque remains on the teeth or braces. Because there is more in your mouth to brush when you have braces, you should plan on brushing for 3-4 minutes each time. Use fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristled brush. Make sure that you brush every surface of each bracket, particularly the top of the top brackets and the bottom of the bottom brackets. Brush every side of your teeth including the inside, as well as your tongue. Gently brush your gums too! Rinse your mouth thoroughly with water. Look carefully at your teeth and brackets, and if they are not clean and shining, brush again.
Foods to Avoid
One of the most challenging parts of wearing braces is avoiding the foods that can damage your brackets, wires, ligatures or other appliances. The benefit of steering clear of these foods however is that your treatment will be completed more quickly than if you frequently bend or break your braces. Here is a list, not intended to be comprehensive, of foods that can damage your braces and prolong your treatment. Common sense will tell you if a certain type of food not listed here should be avoided, or you can feel free to ask your orthodontic assistant if you have questions. It is better to be safe than sorry, so if you are not sure about a particular food, avoid it until you can be sure that it won’t damage your braces.
Chewing very hard foods can break brackets off your teeth or bend your wires. Since your brackets and wires work together to move your teeth in a specific direction, breaking or bending them can stop your teeth from moving or cause them to move in the wrong direction. This means that you will have to come in for more visits to have your braces fixed, and we will spend more time in treatment correcting the resulting problems. Here are some hard foods to avoid to help prevent damage:
ice- hard candy
- nuts
- whole apples or hard fruits
- pretzels
- granola bars
- corn on the cob, etc.
Sticky or chewy foods can pull braces off of your teeth and can bend wires because of the excessive chewing necessary to break them down. Like any wire, repeated bending will weaken and eventually break the wire in your mouth. Sticky and chewy foods can also pull the colored ties, called ligatures, off of your brackets, preventing proper movement. Avoiding these kinds of foods will help prevent this kind of damage:
- taffy
- chewing gum
- fruit snacks
- pizza crust
- jerky
- gummy bears, etc.
Another food to avoid while wearing braces is popcorn. Not only can un-popped kernels damage your braces, the hull that surrounds the kernel can become lodged between your tooth and gums, often creating an infection or even an abscess. Puffed corn alternatives to popcorn are available in stores and can make your popcorn fast a little more bearable!