Tips for Keeping Your Teeth Clean During an Orthodontics Treatment

The use of orthodontics to straighten misaligned teeth is an effective and important process. You can improve your teeth in noticeable ways, but if you do not know how to properly care for your teeth during this time, they could suffer harm. Decay and staining are common problems of orthodontics patients. To combat these issues, read below and use these tips –

Braces and Aligner Care: Braces and aligners are two of the most effective ways to straighten your teeth. They can also make cleaning teeth a challenge. Your first step in caring for your teeth during a braces or aligner treatment is to avoid eating things that will make cleaning harder. Some foods you should avoid are sticky foods like chewy candy and gum, foods that have hard particles like popcorn, and foods with tough skin like apples or beef jerky. Foods like these will get stuck in your braces and lodged in your teeth, making it extremely difficult to remove them.

Flossing should be a priority during your orthodontics treatment. With braces, you should be prepared with tools like proxy brushes and picks. These tools are easy to use in hard to reach areas. Proxy brushes are designed for cleaning between and around braces and can be used by sticking them through your teeth above your braces line and from below your wires. If you do not have a proxy brush or pick, or you want to clean extra thoroughly, you can use traditional floss. Thread an end of the floss in between your teeth over the top of your wire. With both ends in your hands, pull back and forth without putting pressure on the wire. When you are finished, drag the floss out of your crease, and complete the process on the next tooth until you are finished. It may take time, but it is necessary to prevent food particle and plaque build up. If you have aligners, all you need to do is remove the aligner and floss normally after meals and before bed.

You should brush your teeth twice a day, and we encourage you to do it even more than that, including after every meal. Brush your teeth with a quality toothbrush and toothpaste that contains fluoride. If you have braces, you may not want to use toothpaste with whitening properties as this will only whiten what is not covered by your braces and may lead to uneven coloring. If you have aligners, remove your aligner to brush your teeth. While your aligner is off, you should clean it with warm water and a special solution designed for it so that bacteria doesn’t build up in the plastic encasement. Never use toothpaste to clean your aligner because it could cause scratching or warping.

During your orthodontics treatment, you should be scrupulous in these cleaning methods because your teeth will be prone to harboring plaque and bacteria. You should also have dental cleanings bi-annually like you normally would to prevent cavities or decay.