You deserve a straight smile. Braces make that possible by correcting misaligned or crooked teeth. For that to happen, patients need to care for their smile properly during and after treatment. Below, we’ve outlined a few crucial things for patients to keep top-of-mind during and after orthodontic treatment.
During treatment.
Braces help give people the smile they’ve always wanted. Taking proper care of their teeth during orthodontic treatment is a crucial part of that. We want your smile to come out stunning and straight. In order for that to happen, patients should be sure to brush their teeth frequently and eat the right foods. The following are two important keys to consider while wearing braces:
– Brush and floss. Brushing your teeth is important whether you have braces or not. Brackets have a habit of attracting pieces of food in the nooks and crannies. This can cause plaque build-up and eventually – cavities. We recommend brushing your teeth after every meal with a toothbrush that has a soft head to ensure that your smile is always clean. Also, floss frequently. Smaller food particles can get caught underneath wires and shoved up against brackets, making them unreachable by normal toothbrushes. That’s where floss comes in. Because it can be tricky to thread floss between brackets and wires, orthodontists offer floss threaders and sets of proxabrushes to patients who need them.
– Protect your smile. Ensuring that your braces are out of harm’s way can keep your treatment on track. This includes wearing a mouthguard during impact sports and avoiding tough-to-chew foods such as hard candy, popcorn and taffy. Snacks that have a hard exterior or a chewy substance can damage your brackets, causing unscheduled visits to your orthodontist. Choosing wire-proof snacks can be difficult; that’s why we’ve outlined a few foods to avoid while wearing braces here.
Taking care of your smile during orthodontic treatment yields better results. If you or your child have any questions about proper care during treatment, feel free to give us a call.
After treatment.
That feeling of getting your braces off competes with Christmas morning. However, there is still work to be done after your treatment has ended. We want your smile to stay bright and beautiful for a long time. That’s why wearing a retainer and properly cleaning your teeth is important. Patients should keep the following in mind to ensure their new smile stays looking new for a long time.
– Wear your retainer. This might be the most repeated thing you’ll hear towards the end of treatment. And rightfully so. You’ve worked hard for that new smile and you should get to flaunt it for a long time. That means making sure your teeth don’t shift back after your braces are removed. Wearing a retainer helps keep teeth in place by molding to your now-straight smile. Typically, orthodontists recommend that patients wear their retainer consistently, day and night, for a couple of months.
– Keep it clean. That new smile deserves to be shown off. Daily TLC can give you confidence to do that. After your braces are off, it’s important to continue brushing and flossing regularly. Rinsing your mouth with fluoride even after your treatment is over can prevent plaque build-up and keep bad bacteria away.
Including these daily tasks into your dental routine can allow your new smile to stay looking good for the long-term.
Where Do We Go From Here?
If you’re a patient at Birmingham Orthodontics, you’ve probably heard those words of wisdom from us many times before. If you’re not yet a patient, but are considering orthodontic treatment for you or your child, let’s have a chat about what orthodontic treatment could look like for you. During your free consultation, our doctors will bring you through various treatment options including how to manage your daily life with braces. We’ll also provide tips on wire-proof snacks and talk about proper care during that visit. Choose from one of our four convenient locations and schedule your free consultation today. Everyone deserves a smile they can be proud of. We’re here to give you one that will last forever.
Schedule your free consultation today and Smile More with Birmingham Orthodontics.
At Birmingham Orthodontics, our mission is simple: we create smiles. Not only do we straighten the crooked grin, fix the bite, and adjust the jaw, we brighten yearbooks and instill confidence. We also believe in our staff. Our culture of continuous learning drives us to host monthly training sessions for each team and bring in leading industry consultants to help keep us ahead of the curve. Contact us for a free consultation, or with any questions you might have.
