Posted by whybraces

Taking care of your braces is not as complicated as it seems. When the braces are first fixed to your teeth, the list of ways you need to take care of your teeth will feel overwhelming. The good news is that taking care of braces breaks down into two basic categories of care: proper dental hygiene and diet discipline.

Dental hygiene is especially important. That quick pass of your teeth that you used to do is no longer going to work. Now you need to brush, floss, and use a mouth rinse every night (a water pik is also helpful). The reason you need to step up your dental hygiene routine is that your braces greatly weaken your teeth. Because the teeth are moving, they aren’t getting as many of the nutrients they normally get from your jaw and the tissues that surround the roots of your teeth. The glue holding the braces in place also eats away at the enamel of your teeth. Make sure that you follow the dental care routine suggested by your orthodontist. Flossing is going to be awkward and brushing is going to take a little bit longer, but in the end it will be worth it.

Diet Discipline involves two things. The first is the list of foods that your orthodontist gives you that will tell you which foods are off limits. This list will include foods like gum and caramel and other sticky foods. It will also recommend preparation styles for certain foods (slicing up apples and carrots, for example). Pay attention to this list and follow it. There is a reason certain foods will need to be avoided or prepared in certain ways. Sticky foods can pull brackets off teeth. Gum can get caught in the arch wire and pull it loose. Harder foods like carrots need to be sliced up so that, when you bite into them, your teeth aren’t put under too much pressure. Apples, when eaten whole, can pop the brackets off your teeth as you bite into the fruit.

In addition to avoiding certain foods and preparing others in specific ways, you will also want to eat a diet rich in foods that are good for your teeth. Make sure that you are eating foods rich in calcium, like dairy products and leafy greens. Whole grains are good for your gums. Your teeth and gums need as much help as you can give them to stay strong while outside forces (like your braces) weaken them.

Taking care of your braces is not as hard as you think it is. In fact, it is easier than you think it will be!