Keeping Your Gums Healthy With Braces
Braces are a wonderful way of correcting issues with misalignment and gaps in the teeth, and thousands of Americans receive them every year. For all their benefits, however, it’s necessary to spend a little extra time on oral health care while you have them. Braces irregular shape provides numerous places that food, plaque, and tartar can build up if careful attention isn’t paid to keeping these areas clean. This in turn can lead to issues with gingivitis and tooth decay that can undermine the work you’re doing with the braces.
It Starts With Proper Care Of Your Teeth And Gums
Proper oral hygiene with braces is a little more involved than when you’re just cleaning your natural teeth. Every step requires a bit more care and attention to ensure that all the surfaces of your teeth and braces are properly cleaned. The following guide can aid you in caring for your braces.
1. Remove any elastics you have in place before brushing.
2. Use a soft bristled toothbrush with fluoride toothpaste to brush your gums and teeth, paying special attention to where they come together. Small circular motions will achieve the best results.
3. Brush each tooth for approximately 10 seconds, moving in a set pattern to avoid missing teeth.
4. To ensure you get all points of the braces, brush directly on them, pressingly firmly to get the bristles into the gaps.
5. Ensure you spend time on both the inside and outside of your teeth.
Use Oral Care Products To Get The Best Results
Oral care goes beyond just brushing your teeth. You’re also going to want to use floss and mouthwash to ensure you’ve treated every necessary part of your mouth. Ensure that the mouthwash you’re using is safe for your braces, and ask your dentist for assistance in learning how to properly floss while wearing braces. Your braces can be with you for months or years, and failing to properly care for your teeth can result in setbacks to the arrival of beautiful, straight smile.
Eat Foods That Are Better For Your Teeth
It is especially important during your time with braces to eat foods that are less acidic in nature to avoid causing damage in places that are hard to reach. Fruits to avoid include high acid apples, oranges, peaches, plums, raspberries, pears, and cherries, and are best replaced with melons, mangoes, and bananas. Tomatoes and pickles are particularly high in acid, but lettuce, carrots, and cucumbers can be a healthy low-acid alternative. If you love soft drinks, fruit drinks, or sports drinks you’re going to need to cut back and drink more water and milk.
If you’re preparing for a life with braces or are already living with them you may be looking for some professional guidance on how to make this journey easier and more successful. Dr. Gregg Tartakow at the Orthodontic Center of Santa Monica is available to help educate you on the first steps of your journey as well as see you through to a beautiful pearly-white finish. If you live in the Santa Monica, CA area and are considering braces, give them a call!