Dental Hygiene Tips With Braces
Braces are the best way to straighten teeth, correct bite imbalances and get the perfect smile you’ve always dreamed of, but they also make it difficult to keep your pearly whites pearly! Food and plaque can build up between teeth and adhere to brackets, so regular brushing, flossing and cleaning are imperative to keeping teeth healthy during treatment.
At North Atlanta Aesthetic Dentistry, we seek to make oral hygiene as easy and painless for our patients as possible, which is why we’ve come up with several tips to help keep your teeth in tip-top shape during your orthodontic treatment. Read below for our top dental hygiene tips with braces!
5 Ways to Keep Your Teeth Clean with Braces
- Brush regularly: During treatment, it can be hard to remove food and plaque between teeth and brackets. In order to avoid build up, try to brush your teeth after every meal, particularly after you’ve eaten sticky or sugary foods. Brushing at a 45-degree angle will also help get below and above brackets and dislodge any food that may have gotten stuck. If you can’t brush immediately, you can also swish your mouth with water to manually remove food.
- Floss Daily: Flossing your teeth at least once a day during treatment will ensure that hard-to-reach plaque doesn’t turn into harmful tartar. When plaque builds and hardens it leads to tooth decay and periodontal disease. In order to keep gums and teeth healthy, floss in between brackets and wires carefully. We recommend carrying floss or floss picks with you to help remove food after eating!
- Eat Carefully: Certain foods can be especially difficult to clean out of brackets and wires and we suggest avoiding them during your treatment to maintain the health of your teeth. Foods that tend to be problematic include: popcorn, nuts, sticky and hard candy, chewing gum and starchy foods like bread, pizza and chips. If you do eat these foods, chew carefully and brush immediately after your meal.
- Utilize mouthwash: food particles can still be missed when brushing and flossing, so rinsing with mouthwash is a good way to kill harmful bacteria and avoid cavities. If you can’t brush after a meal, mouthwash is a good alternative until you can get to a bathroom.
- Schedule regular cleanings: Lastly, make sure to schedule regular visits to see your dentist for professional cleanings. The tools your dentist uses during your cleaning are made for reaching plaque, tartar and bacteria that your at-home toothbrush may miss. Your dentist will also inform you if any further steps are needed to maintain good oral health.
Is It Time for Your Next Cleaning?
At North Atlanta Aesthetic Dentistry, keeping your teeth healthy and clean is our top priority and we’re happy to help you properly care for your teeth during your orthodontic treatment.
Your dentist will also answer any questions you may have about brushing or flossing your teeth. If you’re ready for a professional dental cleaning, you can schedule your appointment by calling our office at 770-664-1244 or contact us here for more information.