By Orthodontic Gallery on Fixed Braces and Oral Hygiene.
Keeping Your Braces Clean
Taking care of your oral hygiene is always important, but it is even more so when you have braces.
When wearing braces, tiny bits of food can become trapped between the brackets and wires on your teeth and if these are not removed regularly, it can lead to plaque build up.
Plaque is a sticky substance which contains bacteria that can cause cavities and gum disease. If plaque is left on your teeth and around your braces brackets it can cause decalcification, which leaves white spots on where your brackets have been, these spots will stay on your teeth forever!
While remineralising treatment can help to reduce the appearance of decalcification it can only really be hidden with veneers or composite bonding, and after undergoing Orthodontic treatment to give you a beautiful smile it would be a shame, not to mention very costly, to have to cover them with porcelain or composite.
So keep your teeth and braces clean!
Extend Your Cleaning Routine
When you have fixed braces you need to allow more time for brushing each day. You should continue to brush twice a day, but allow at least 5 minutes to ensure you clean all around your braces as well as your teeth and gums.
It is also recommended that you clean your teeth after every meal and floss at least once a day. To ensure that you are adequately removing the food and bacteria around your braces, it is important to use a soft-bristled toothbrush as well as an interdental brush, which can be used to clean between the wires and brackets.
Consider taking a travel size fluoride mouthwash and your interdental brushes with you for a quick and easy clean when you are out and about.
Other Things To Consider
If you’re looking to keep your teeth healthy while wearing braces, which we’re sure you are! You want the very best results after all, there are some foods that you should definitely avoid.
As we have already mentioned plaque build up can cause decalcification which will leave you with unsightly white spots on your teeth after you have your braces removed.
But, plaque can also have an adverse effect of your overall treatment too. If plaque is left to go hard it becomes calculus and will impede the movement of your teeth.
Reducing your sugar intake will help to reduce the plaque on your teeth, and there are other foods you need to avoid too.
Foods To Avoid When you Have Fixed Braces
Adapting your diet can be difficult, we get it! But with mindful eating decisions now, you’ll get the very best results from your Orthodontic treatment.
Making small changes in the short-term will lead to an amazing reveal of your new and improved smile!
- Chewy, sticky and tough foods: Chewy, sticky and tough foods should be avoided as these will get stuck in your teeth and around your braces, which can break the bracket of your braces or even dislodge a wire. Toffee, caramel, chewing gum, licorice and chewy sweets are all off the menu.
- Hard food items: Hard food items should also be avoided as they can cause damage to your braces and even remove the brackets. When you bite down on these types of food you apply a similar pressure to your braces as when we remove them, so you need to refrain from eating hard fruits and vegetables like raw carrots and apples. You should also avoid crusty bread, nuts and hard sweets.
- Foods with high sugar content: Eating foods that are high in sugar can cause tooth decay and cavities, which can be harder to prevent while wearing braces. Items such as sweets, cakes, cookies, pastries, ice cream and fizzy drinks should all be avoided.
- Food and drinks that stain: If you consume a lot of high staining foods you can stain the bands around your brackets and the brackets themselves, if you have ceramic braces. Meals that contain a lot of spices are very good at staining braces so steer clear of curries and other heavily spiced dishes. Also try to avoid tomato sauce based dishes. Be mindful of drinks that stain too, tea, coffee and red wine can also stain ceramic braces.
At Orthodontic Gallery our team of Specialist Orthodontists and highly skilled support staff provide thoughtful, comprehensive care to make each patient’s experience with us as positive and stress-free as possible.
We strive to exceed expectations by delivering the highest standard of attentive Orthodontic treatment in a warm, welcoming atmosphere that is tailored to your individual needs.