Getting orthodontic care is a good investment in your future. It is very important to take care of your teeth and gums while you have braces.
Look at your new braces in the mirror. As you can see, the brackets and wires have a lot of places where food and plaque can get stuck. This means that you may be more likely to get cavities and gum problems while you have braces. You need to pay extra attention to how you eat and how often you brush your teeth every day.
If the teeth and brackets are not kept clean, the tooth enamel can be hurt easily. Some spots on the surface of the enamel may start to lose minerals. This is the first sign of tooth decay and can leave ugly white spots. You may also get gums that are red and bleed, this condition is known as gingivitis. You can reverse gingivitis and the early stages of tooth decay by taking extra care with how you clean your teeth and what you eat. If you don’t take care of them, they can lead to bigger problems that need treatment and will affect you for the rest of your life.
While you are getting orthodontic treatment, you should still see your dentist regularly to make sure that small problems don’t turn into big ones. You should also follow some home care instructions so you can save your teeth for a lifetime.
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Orthodontic Home Care Instructions
According to the top reviewed dentist in Karachi, Dr. Muhammad Ahsan Bhatti “Excellent oral hygiene with an orthodontic appliance is essential for keeping your teeth and gums healthy. Be excellent! The right toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss can make all the difference for proper dental care during orthodontic treatment.” Let’s see how orthodontic home care instructions work.
A Healthy Diet For Teeth
Most of us know that eating and drinking things high in sugar can cause cavities. Tooth decay can also be caused by starchy foods that stick to teeth for a long time, like potato chips. Acidic foods and drinks, like regular and diet colas, cordial, sports drinks, and fruit juices, can wear away the enamel on your teeth if you eat them often or sip on them for long periods of time. Sometimes we take food that is low in calcium and eventually cause tooth decay. Doctors suggest calcium level 24 hour urine tests to measure the quantity.Your body’s natural defense against tooth decay is your saliva. You need to give your saliva a lot of time to get rid of acids that form after you eat and drink. A good rule to follow is to only eat three meals and two snacks each day. You can drink as much water as you want, whenever you want! Be aware that fluoride may not be in bottled water.
Diet And Habits That Are Good For Braces
When you have braces, there are some foods that can loosen, break, or bend the wires and bands. Don’t eat hard foods like nuts and hard cookies. Before you eat, you should cut or chop foods like apples and carrots into small pieces so they don’t put too much pressure on your braces. Sticky foods like caramels, toffees, muesli, and fruit bars should be avoided. Don’t chew gum!. Easy chewable food helps you to relieve braces pain.
Habits like biting your nails, sticking your tongue out of place, chewing on a pencil, or nervously picking at your wires can also break your braces. Know about these things and try to stop them.
Easy Steps For Home Care
- If your orthodontist gave you elastics, take them off before you brush your teeth.
- Place a small, soft toothbrush with fluoride toothpaste and a 45-degree angle against the gums. Use a small circular motion to gently brush along the gum line, where the gums meet the teeth.
- Spend about 10 seconds on each tooth before moving on to the next one. Brush in a set pattern so that you don’t miss any teeth.
- Brush the braces gently. Press down hard enough on your toothbrush so that the bristles spread out and fill the space between the wire and the tooth.
- Brush between and around all of the wires and brackets. Make sure to clean under the wires. A power brush could come in handy.
- Use a gentle circular motion on each tooth to brush both the inside and outside surfaces.
- Use a firm back-and-forth motion on the chewing surfaces.
- Spit out any extra paste, and then look closely in the mirror at your teeth and braces to make sure they are clean and shiny.
- Don’t forget to change your rubber bands.
- Use other products for oral care as your orthodontist.
Fluoride And Oral Care Products
One of the best ways to keep your teeth from getting cavities is to use fluoride toothpaste twice a day. One study reveals that fluoride makes teeth resistant to resist acid of hydroxyapatite that is made when you eat or drink. It also replaces minerals that are lost when tooth decay first starts. Studies have shown that brushing your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste is better than brushing once a day to prevent tooth decay. The best times to brush are in the morning and before bed.
Because you may be more likely to get cavities while you have braces, your orthodontist may suggest that you use other fluoride products that protect you even more. Your orthodontist may also suggest special tools like interdental brushes to help you clean your teeth.
Ask your orthodontist or dental hygienist to show you
Things You Should Consider
When you or your child is ready to start orthodontic treatment, the first thing you should do is make a consultation appointment with your nearest doctor. This meeting will give you both a chance to set good goals, talk about worries, and come up with a treatment plan. Also, keeping a good oral health routine at home is important for keeping your teeth healthy and getting them ready for orthodontic treatment. Your teeth and gums will be safe from plaque, tooth decay, and cavities if you brush and floss every day. During orthodontic treatment, it’s important to keep up with this routine to avoid any problems that could make the treatment take longer and cost more to fix.
