Hello World! Welcome Friends! Not taking proper care of your braces will affect your teeth’ progress. However, braces can make your oral care routine more challenging. You also need to take extra precautions to avoid damaging your braces, like avoiding sticky sweets and chewy foods, biting your lips, pushing your tongue against your teeth, and more.
Braces also add more surfaces that food debris can get stuck in, requiring you to clean them regularly.
The list goes on and on; it may already seem very daunting. Don’t worry; here are some tips on caring for your braces and teeth.
Tips on Braces Care
1. Don’t Use Your Teeth as an Opening Tool
Admit it; you’ve probably tried to open ketchup packets or a bag of chips with your teeth. However, teeth are designed for chewing, not for opening things. Using them as opening tools puts unnecessary strain on your teeth and jaws. You might also damage your brackets, which will require emergency repair. Use a pair of scissors instead of your teeth the next time you need to open anything.
2. Avoid Chewing Non-Food Items
Some people do this unintentionally, even when they’re already wearing braces. They might find themselves deep in thought without even realizing they’ve been chewing the tip of their pen, pencil, straw, or any other item they can put in your mouth. Unfortunately, chewing on these hard items can break or chip brackets and damage braces.
3. Avoid Using Toothbrushes With Hard Bristles and Brushing Too Hard
Unfortunately, many people — including those wearing braces — believe that using a toothbrush with hard bristles and brushing hard can effectively clean your teeth. They don’t know that brushing too hard with a hard-bristled toothbrush can damage your enamel and your braces.
According to sunrise-dentistry.com, cleaning your teeth doesn’t take much force. Experts also recommend using a toothbrush with soft round bristles.
4. Don’t Bite Your Nails
Nail-biting is another bad habit you need to stop. It may get difficult; however, it can cause brackets to slip or damage the wires.
5. Don’t Chew Ice
Some people habitually chew on the ice left after they finish a cold beverage. Ice is too hard and cold for your teeth; biting them can damage your wires and brackets.
6. Don’t Miss Brace Adjustment Appointments
Your orthodontist needs to adjust your braces regularly for them to work. They will let you know when your next appointment is due and give you a schedule to follow. Never miss these appointments, or ask for a later or earlier appointment if you have anything to do on the day of the appointment. Missing these appointments might cause you to wear your braces for longer.
7. Use a Mouth Guard
Make sure to wear a mouth guard if you play sports. It will protect your braces and prevent them from scraping your cheeks or lips if you ever get hit while playing.
It is better to have a custom-made orthodontic mouth guard made from high-grade silicone. It will keep your braces and teeth safe while allowing you to enjoy your beloved sport.
8. Brush Your Teeth After Every Meal
Brushing twice a day is the best oral care habit to develop, but wearing braces can change this. You’ll need to brush your teeth each time you eat to keep your braces clean and free from food debris that gets stuck in them. The longer food debris is stuck in your braces, the higher the chances of dental problems. This dentist who does high-quality dental implants in Chattanooga TN also recommends flossing to clean your teeth and your braces.
9. Be Careful With the Food You Eat
Having braces means you have to be more mindful of what you eat. Too many starchy and sugary foods can lead to plaque buildup around your brackets. These can cause staining, gum disease, and cavities.
You should also avoid sticky and chewy foods like caramel, dried foods, gum, and corn on the cob; they stick to your teeth and braces and are difficult to remove.
Avoid eating hard foods such as nuts, ice, and popcorn; they can break your braces and loosen your brackets. Carrots and apples can damage the wires, despite being good for your teeth. You can still eat them but cut them into bite-sized pieces.
Key Takeaway
The road to straighter and healthier teeth is challenging, but you should never let it stop you from getting treatments like braces. Caring for your braces allows them to work and will make sure you won’t have to wear them for longer.
You must never use your teeth to open anything or chew non-food items when you have braces. You should be mindful of what you put in your mouth; avoid hard, chewy, and sticky foods, and you should not chew on ice.
Never miss brace adjustment appointments, and make sure to wear a mouth guard if you play sports. And most of all, always brush your teeth each time you eat.
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