Posted on March 16, 2021
A visit to the orthodontist to get braces is only part of the process to reach your smile goals. You must do your part. Oral hygiene on your part takes on whole new importance when you are wearing braces.
Working closely with your orthodontist to keep your teeth healthy while the braces do their job is vital to the success of your orthodontic treatment. Following a few simple tips will ensure that you are doing your part to get the results that you are hoping for.
Whether you are wearing traditional braces or Invisalign braces, it is important that you brush your teeth often. With traditional braces, you may find that getting in between your teeth is harder than ever. Your orthodontist can help you to choose the tools that you need to brush effectively with traditional braces.
If you have Invisalign aligners, you can easily remove the trays and brush and floss as you normally would. The only additional step you need to take with Invisalign is to rinse the trays every time you brush.
One of the best ways to protect your braces and your teeth while you are wearing braces is to be careful about what you eat. Of course, Invisalign doesn’t come with the same prohibitive food lists that traditional braces do. Invisalign aligners are removed before you eat or drink anything (except water). Traditional braces adhere to the teeth so sticky foods need to be avoided.
Some foods and beverages can stain your teeth like certain fruit juices, coffee, and other foods and beverages. If you follow up with a tall glass of water after consuming potentially staining foods and beverages that can help.
Overall diet is especially important to the health of your teeth whether you have braces or not. Diets that are low in sugar are tooth-healthy diets. Sugary sweets and drinks feed the bacteria that cause cavities.
Getting in between your teeth to clear out debris can be tough with traditional braces, but it is something that you must commit to. With Invisalign braces again, you just remove the aligner trays so that you can floss easily in between teeth.
If you are having trouble managing oral hygiene while you are wearing braces talk to your orthodontist about the problem. The orthodontist’s office will have a solution.