Whether you just got your braces on or you are in the middle of treatment, taking care of your braces is essential for getting the beautiful smile you want. Taking the best possible care of your braces will help things go according to plan and help to avoid complications. Our team at Southington Orthodontics is here to explain how to clean and care for your braces at home.
Be Mindful of Your Eating Habits
Having braces means being very careful about the foods you eat. This will help you keep your braces in great condition and avoid emergencies as much as possible. Choosing braces-safe foods is important in maintaining oral health and keeping your treatment plan on schedule.
Safe Foods to Eat
After getting your braces on, we recommend eating soft foods. Foods such as pasta, yogurt, mashed potatoes, soup, bananas (and plenty more) are great options for a nutritious diet and will help as you adjust to having braces. Our team can provide you with a list of delicious foods to stock up on.
Foods to Avoid
Dr. Camanocha suggests avoiding anything crunchy, hard, or chewy while you are in treatment. This includes gum, sticky/chewy or hard candy, raw vegetables, popcorn, nuts, chips, and similar items. Our team can offer a complete list and answer specific questions you have. If you are worried that your favorite food is on our list of things to avoid, we promise that the wait to eat it again will be worth it when you see your new smile!
Drinking Plenty of Water
There are plenty of health benefits to staying hydrated, but water is, in fact, one of the best natural ways to maintain the condition of your braces and teeth throughout treatment. It contains an incredible mineral known as fluoride, which boosts your protection against tooth decay, bacteria, and developing cavities.
Drinking water throughout the day, especially after meals, also dilutes the acids that form in your mouth from eating sugary foods. We recommend keeping a bottle with you to keep your braces and teeth clean and functioning long-term.
Stick to a Daily Oral Care Routine
Brushing
An important step in keeping your smile healthy is brushing your teeth and braces at least twice every day. When braces are present, cleaning your teeth and braces after eating will help make sure that small food particles are not hanging around for too long. Using orthodontic-recommended tools, such as soft-bristled toothbrushes and fluoride toothpaste, can elevate your care routine to the next level.
Effective brushing is a simple technique. All you need to do is place your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle and move it in a circular motion around each tooth, bracket, and wire until each surface is polished. Southington Orthodontics will provide you with a small kit of oral care items after you get your braces on to help set you up for success.
Flossing
Before your braces achieve your new smile, you likely will have hard-to-reach areas of your mouth where small pieces of food can get stuck between your braces and teeth. A string of floss by itself will not be able to reach down each tooth. Instead, our office provides each patient with floss threaders you can weave between your teeth to loosen food particles and protect you from tooth decay.
Dr. Camanocha recommends that you floss every night. Our team will happily point out specific areas to keep track of that may be more likely to get pieces of food stuck.
Using Mouthwash
On top of brushing and flossing, mouthwash is another effective way of staying on top of your oral health. Mouthwash can freshen your breath, remove plaque, combat tooth decay, and prevent cavities from developing in their early stages. As helpful as this additional step is, it does not replace brushing and flossing your braces and teeth. Each step cleans with different abrasiveness necessary to maintain your oral health.
Attend Your Follow Up Appointments
Throughout your time in treatment with Southington Orthodontics, we ask that you attend follow-up appointments every four to twelve weeks, depending on your next appointment needed, so we can monitor the condition of your braces and teeth. The earlier we can spot weak points in your appliance or an issue with your teeth, the simpler care will be to get your care plan back on schedule.
Of course, if you notice something out of place or unusual about your braces between appointments, don’t hesitate to contact us and let us know so we can guide you through the best next steps to take care of the issue. Our team is here as your resource to rely on to make your treatment as simple and stress-free as possible.
The Importance of Cleaning Your Braces
Keeping your braces and teeth clean throughout treatment is essential to ensure your treatment plan stays on schedule. Following Dr. Camanocha and the rest of our expert team’s care instructions will help prevent tooth decay, cavities and staining, as well as protect your tooth enamel from breaking down.
Having braces requires more effort each day to keep up your oral health, but the better your oral health is throughout treatment, the sooner you can enjoy your brand-new smile! If you have any questions about properly brushing, flossing or caring for your braces, our team can answer them!
Count On Us To Keep Your Braces Safe!
As you can see, there are plenty of ways to keep your braces clean and in perfect condition. At Southington Orthodontics, we prioritize educating patients to help them feel confident in their treatment and continue healthy habits and routines at home to make having braces as straightforward as possible. We provide comprehensive orthodontic care to the Southington community and the surrounding area, including free consultations. We can’t wait to meet you!
