Proper teeth and gum care are essential during an orthodontics treatment. When you have braces or an aligner, your teeth are more vulnerable to decay, and your gums are more vulnerable to disease. Take these liabilities seriously by learning how to clean your teeth and gums correctly and thoroughly during this time of dental improvement. Not only will learning proper dental care help to prevent decay during your orthodontics treatment, but it will also create an excellent oral hygiene habit that will extend for the rest of your life. This will help to prevent emergency dental visits and unnecessary financial expenses in the future.
While you are having your teeth straightened, it is important to maintain a proper diet. When you eat certain things, you increase your risk of decay. You could also get uncomfortable food particles stuck in your braces that are hard to remove. For aligners, you should watch what you eat because certain foods may cause bacteria growth within your aligner while you are wearing it, and your aligner could get cloudy or stained. As a general rule, don't eat anything hard, fibrous, with high acidity, or anything sticky like candy or gum. Also, try to avoid sugary or acidic drinks like soda. Always remove your aligner when you eat and drink and as soon as possible, brush or floss following meals.
During your orthodontics treatment, it is important to continue brushing and flossing twice daily. We also encourage you to brush and floss more often. This will help you prevent decay, bacteria growth, and it will ensure that your gums stay healthy and disease free.
Flossing: With braces, you should continue to floss no matter how complicated it may seem. You can get flossers created for braces and an appliance called a proxy brush that is shaped for use with braces. Proxy brushes allow you to insert the flosser above and below your braces line for optimal cleaning. These should not, however, be used as a substitute for brushing. Always brush following flossing with a fluoride toothpaste. Regular floss can also be used by sticking an end above your wire and pulling back and forth with both of your hands.
Flossing with an aligner is much like flossing before alignment, except you should floss more often. Floss in the morning and evening and after every meal as frequently as you are able. Never allow food particles to remain in between your teeth while you are wearing your aligner as this will encourage bacteria growth and decay.
Brushing: Brush your teeth after flossing with any orthodontics treatment. You should brush your teeth more frequently while your teeth are being aligned because you have a greater chance of plaque build-up. With aligners, remove the aligner and clean it with warm water so that it won't harbor its own grime or bacteria.
Keep these cleaning methods in mind throughout your orthodontics treatment, and do them often. Don't let your teeth suffer from decay during your treatment so that they remain healthy and beautiful. Visit our office for more information regarding your dental care.
