3 Habits to Successfully Care for Your Braces

You've decided to start wearing braces.

Congratulations! You're making a valiant effort towards attaining a winning smile that will serve you well for the rest of your life.

Having a straight, white smile can open all new doors, professionally, personally, even romantically. It can give you a new sense of worth, and make you feel confident beyond your imagination.

But to attain that captivating smile, you need to care for your braces while you're wearing them.

Without proper oral care, your braces can become uncomfortable, and you can extend the length of time you're required to wear them.

Your teeth can also become stained, and you can develop cavities and decay, leading to even worse dental problems down the road.

To keep your braces - and the teeth underneath - sparkling clean, here are three habits to adopt as part of your regular oral care routine.

Keep Those Braces Clean

1. Brush After Every Meal

You probably already brush every morning upon waking and nightly before you go to bed. If not, then you might want to start.

Now that you wear braces, your teeth are more susceptible to plaque buildup and invasion from bacteria than ever before.

When you eat with braces, food can get trapped in the spaces between your braces and the interconnecting wires.

To keep your braces and teeth clean, consider carrying a toothbrush with you everywhere you go - to a friend's house, to work or school, and even when you go out to dinner.

Before you brush, rinse first with water to dislodge any excess food that may have been left behind, then choose a soft-bristle toothbrush and brush gently so that you don't damage any wires or brackets.

Your Orthodontist might also suggest that you rinse with mouthwash and floss at least once per day.

Go easy with the floss. Thread it between the tooth and wire, and work it slowly back and forth between your teeth and braces. Remember, if you floss too hard, you can damage your braces, leading to costly repairs and possibly longer treatment.

To make flossing easier, get an Orthodontic Flosser, which can be purchased at most drug stores. You are also urged to get the kind with wax, which slides between your teeth easier and is unlikely to snag on your brackets.

2. Keep Your Braces Protected

If you play sports or engage in other physical activities, like martial arts, you should consider wearing a mouth guard to avoid damaging the delicate system of brackets and wires. If you wear braces on the top and the bottom, get a mouth guard that protects your entire mouth. For best results, go with a custom-made mouth guard created and provided by your Orthodontist.

3. Avoid Problem Foods

Your Orthodontist most likely gave you a list of the foods you could and could not eat during treatment. Foods like taffy or crunchy apples can get stuck in your braces and, in some cases, the brackets or wires could snap completely.

Other foods to avoid include raw carrots, dried fruits, caramel, nuts, popcorn, and beef jerky. Basically, any food that is too crunchy, sticky, or chewy.

For best results, consider the consistency of each food before you put it in your mouth and try to minimize damage any way possible. For instance, corn on the cob can be eaten, but the kernels should be cut off the cob with a knife before digging in. Apples and carrots can also be cut into much smaller pieces.

Your Orthodontist and Dentist would also prefer that you stay away from too many sugary or starchy foods and soft drinks, which can promote tooth decay and gum disease.

While you're at it, avoid crunching on ice, chewing gum, and biting down on anything out of nervousness, like your pen-tip or fingernail.

With these three tips added to your daily routine, your braces will remain sparkling clean, and your teeth protected until treatment is complete.

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How Effective is Fluoride in Toothpaste?

Learn if fluoride in your toothpaste is really effective in this video

What Is Preventative Dentistry And Why Is It Important?

Caring for your teeth is important. Starting good practices now can save you a lot of pain and money in the future. Preventative dentistry aims to protect the health of your teeth in both the short and long term.

What Am I Trying To Prevent?

Preventative dentistry protects you from a number of dental problems, including cavities and tooth decay. Cavities can lead to more serious problems such as abscesses. Other potentially severe issues could include gingivitis and gum disease. Poor dental health has also been linked to ailments such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

How Often Should I Visit My Dentist?

Unless you are dealing with a more serious dental problem, you should visit your dentist once or twice a year. While you're at these regular visits, you should receive both a cleaning and a checkup. If your dentist spots a cavity early, she can usually prevent further damage by placing a filling in the tooth.

What Can I Do At Home?

Preventative dentistry starts in the home. Make sure you practice good dental care every day. If you have children, start teaching them early about the importance of taking care of their teeth. These lessons will last a lifetime.

You should brush at least twice daily with fluoride toothpaste. If you can, you should also brush about an hour after each meal, which gives your mouth time to restore its natural mineral balance. Don't forget to brush your tongue as well, as this helps remove bacteria from your mouth. And you should remember to replace your toothbrush several times a year. When you notice the bristles starting to fray, throw it out and get a new one.

Finally, you should always floss daily. This will help get food out from between your teeth where regular brushing might not reach. A good way to get kids to do this is by using floss picks, so they don't have to struggle with holding the thread between their small fingers.

Are There Any Foods I Should Avoid?

Foods and drinks that are highly acidic or that contain a lot of sugars may be harmful to your teeth. This can include sodas, sugary juices, fruits, and desserts. If you do choose to have one of these foods, you should try to rinse with mouthwash as soon as possible to remove the acids and sugars from your mouth. However, you shouldn't immediately brush after you eat or drink because your teeth become softer and are therefore more susceptible to damage. Drinking acidic or sugary drinks through a straw can also reduce contact with your teeth and may help prevent acid erosion.

What Else Can I Do?

Maintaining your overall physical health can have a significant impact on the health of your mouth. Drinking plenty of water can help protect your teeth by keeping your body healthy and hydrated. You can also take a multivitamin to make sure your body is getting the nutrients you need to keep your smile strong. You should also avoid smoking cigarettes or excessive alcohol consumption, as these can cause mouth cancer.

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Three Reasons Not to Skip Your General Dentistry Checkup

Most experts recommend that individuals visit a general dentistry practice every six months to ensure optimal oral health, but many people do not follow these guidelines for one reason or another. Some cannot find time in their busy schedules for regular checkups, while others avoid the dentist due to the cost of a visit, and others because they fear dental instruments.

While these concerns are understandable, it is still important to keep up with your appointments. Here are three great reasons for you to make your general dentistry checkups a priority.

A Brighter Smile

A clean mouth is a healthy mouth. But, even with regular brushing and flossing at home, you still might not be able to remove all of the dental plaque that builds up over time. If left on the teeth, these mineralized deposits can eat away at your tooth enamel and cause cavities and gum disease.

A professional cleaning can ensure that plaque does not have the chance to cause any damage. Regular dental visits will also help you keep your breath fresh, since a professional cleaning can remove odor-causing bacteria from hard-to-reach places in your mouth. Additionally, if you are a coffee or tea drinker, your dentist's cleaning tools can remove stains, leaving you with a whiter, brighter smile.

An Ounce of Prevention

Keeping up with your regular checkups will ensure that dental problems, like cavities or gum disease, are caught early when they are much simpler to treat. For example, your dentist may be able to treat a cavity in its early stages with a fluoride treatment but, if the cavity is left to progress, you will likely need a filling, root canal, or even a crown. If the cavity is severely advanced, the tooth may even need to be extracted.

Therefore, it is important to see your dental professional as scheduled in order to keep any problems in check. Additionally, the more complex procedures have a heftier price tag, so keeping up with your checkups doesn't just help you avoid the dentist's drill; it's easier on your wallet, too.

It May Just Save Your Life

Regular checkups are not only important for the health of your mouth, they are essential to your overall health, as well. Problems in the mouth can cause much more than just a toothache-they can be deadly. If a decayed tooth develops a bacterial infection, it can spread throughout the body. More rarely, it can cause Ludwig's Angina, an intense pain and swelling under the tongue and neck, which can be fatal. During your visit, your dental professional can also examine your mouth tissue for signs of disease, such as nutritional deficiencies, stress, eating disorders, and even certain cancers.

Do not let your phobias, your hectic schedule, or your financial concerns prevent you from keeping your general dentistry appointment. Make the commitment to see your dentist regularly to keep your teeth-and your health-in great shape.

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Difference between Gingivitis and Advanced Periodontal Diseases | Crest

Periodontal disease can affect the gums and periodontal ligaments around the teeth. In this Oral Care Tip, we discuss the stages of gum disease and the importance of following a strict oral hygiene routine to catch gingivitis early and to help you avoid permanent damage to teeth.

The Best Form Of Teeth Whitening Is Visiting A Dentist

All of us are searching for that perfect, gleaming white smile that gives an impression of radiance, youth, health, and cleanliness. With time, the color of our teeth can change, so we seek ways to reverse or alter these effects by buying expensive teeth-whitening products, such as pastes, gels, strips. and lights. While there are endless methods to try out, one of them should be consulting a professional.

Get Professional Help First

It's easy to go to a pharmacy and buy products that claim to whiten teeth, but it's not that easy to see results. Over-the-counter whitening brands require a rigid schedule to guarantee the desired outcome. Because people are often forgetful and barely enjoy brushing their teeth in the first place, it is hard to follow a strict regiment for a period of six months, two years, or longer. While we assume that the do-it-yourself version will save us money and time, its results are less noticeable than those from visiting your personal dentist.

We're All Different

Everyone's degree of tooth discoloration varies. These variations are due to genetics, which explains the different causes of gum disease and cavities. Some of us are more or less prone to these causes, but in order to be sure of what's affecting your particular discoloration and how to treat it, you must find an experienced doctor.

Dentists are educated in the chemical treatments, bleaches, and dyes that are most suitable. One form of treatment may not work the same as another, which is why it's important to seek qualified help. Skilled professionals are also aware of your sensitivities and allergic reactions.

Teeth Whitening

One of the best techniques used by dentists is to buffer in a gel that can transform your teeth in a single visit. It whitens your teeth about ten shades lighter within an hour. While these special agents are active and effective, there is still homework on your part. Depending on each patient, some may be required to continue their treatments at home. Your doctor will be sure to give you special toothpaste, prescriptions, and recommendations of what products to purchase for home care. Typically, one in-office teeth whitening procedure will last up to two years. Although doctors give you a big boost, it's your job to continue taking care of yourself by staying away from things like coffee, tea, wine, and cigarettes. You should also always remember to brush and floss!

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Taking Care of Your Teeth After Braces

You may believe all of the hard work is over, but in reality, your teeth still could revert to their previous, misaligned positions. During the next six months, you must keep a watchful eye on all aspects of your oral health so your orthodontic work is not wasted.

What Is Retention?

Retention describes the six-month period following the time when your braces are removed. Contrary to what you may think, your teeth are not set directly in the jawbone. They are held in place by periodontal ligaments.

Braces reposition these ligaments over time, but when the braces are removed, it is critical to continue providing support and guidance to the ligaments as they adjust to their new position, or else you may find your teeth begin to shift back to their previous spots.

Types of Retainers

You will be outfitted with a retainer which you may have to wear all the time for six months, then later only at night while you sleep. Retainers come in three basic models: Hawley, plastic or a fixed.

The Hawley retainer is acrylic, molds to the roof of your mouth and has an attached wire in place to stabilize the teeth. Plastic retainers are clear, molded to your teeth and can be slipped in and out as needed, with no visible wires. A fixed retainer cannot be removed by the wearer like the other two options, but the wires that hold the teeth in place are also not visible when you smile, making it an attractive and sturdy choice.

Your orthodontist will recommend a type to fit your oral health needs based on your progress with braces and the severity of your original condition.

Stay Committed to Regular Oral Health Routines

After braces, it is essential to pay attention to your daily oral health routine. Continue brushing twice a day and flossing as well. Your braces may have prevented you from accessing your gumline properly, so make sure to brush your gums gently during each session to stimulate blood flow and remove plaque.

Whitening Suggestions

While your orthodontist most likely made expert suggestions on how to clean and care for your teeth while wearing braces so that staining would not occur, sometimes even your best efforts fall short. If you have stains on your teeth as a result of wearing braces, many whitening options are available to you.

It is best to avoid over-the-counter whitening products at this stage and instead rely on professionals to administer treatment. They can test which products will achieve the most desirable results beforehand so you can trust that your stains will disappear quickly.

Always talk to your trusted family orthodontist about any concerns associated with taking care of your teeth after your braces come off. He or she will make sure you are fully informed about all the follow-up appointments you need and instruct you on how to properly clean and maintain your teeth after getting your braces off.

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