Clean Teeth with Braces!

Having braces can present some new challenges when it comes to oral hygiene. Preventing tooth decay can be a big challenge simply because of the tendency for braces to trap food under the wires and between the teeth and the brackets. Here are a few tips to keep your teeth healthy while wearing your braces:

1. Eat Braces-Safe Foods
Keeping your teeth from decay starts with a proper diet. Foods that are high in sugar or starch can cause more plaque which is difficult to remove during your brushing. However there are certain foods that should be completely avoided while wearing your braces.
First, sticky foods like caramel or gum can get stuck in your braces and be difficult to remove during brushing. Next, hard foods such as nuts and candy could bend wires or even break a bracket. Foods that are firm or hard to bite into like apples, carrots, or corn on the cob should be avoided or cut into tiny mini bites. As much as we like to snack on them, those crunchy treats can harm your braces. Things like chips, ice, popcorn can also bend or break your braces. The good news however is that bananas, mangoes, milk, water, poultry, and pasta all tend to be low in enamel-busting acids.

2. Proper Brushing is essential

You'll want to place your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle against the edges of your gums in order to clean the whole tooth, and brush gently in the area between the wire/brackets and your teeth. Use a soft toothbrush and alway use fluoride toothpaste for best results. Rinsing several times every day will help keep your mouth cleaner too! Rinsing is especially important when you have braces as you need to disinfect your entire mouth, including those spots under the braces where your brush can't always reach.

3. Ask Boschken Orthodontics about special cleaning tools

There are special brushes and flossers designed to help you get around and under the appliances in order to clean your braces. You can also find many of these items at your local pharmacy. Look for Proxa brushes, floss threaders, Platypus flossers and disclosing tablets at your store or ask us for samples hen you are at the office!

4. Regular Check-ups and Teeth Cleaning with your dentist

It's important to keep your routine check upappointments with your dentist and dental hygienist for a thorough cleaning twice a year or as directed. The exact frequency of these visits will be up to you and your dentist as some types of braces are more demanding of a regular cleaning than others.
As long as you practice good oral hygiene and follow these basic tips, you should have no problem keeping your teeth from decaying while you wear braces.