By Lizzie Weakley
Wearing braces will straighten teeth but they will not magically give you a perfect smile without caring for them carefully. Adult and youth-aged orthodontic patients alike are conscientious of the basics. Avoid certain foods, continue brushing and postpone enjoying sugary beverages. However, other dos and don’ts of wearing braces can be the difference between effective orthodontic treatment and setting the stage for many years of different dental problems to come.
The Dos of wearing braces
When wearing braces, it is crucial to:
- Only eat a few times per day
- Avoid acidic foods and enjoy low acid treats like bananas and melons
- Skip the salad dressing, opt for soup
- Use a strong fluoride toothpaste; and
- Floss and drink lots of water
According to C U Smile Dental Care, eating three times per day (and minimal snacks) is beneficial while wearing braces because it allows sufficient time for saliva to naturally defend against tooth decay. Eating foods that are low in acid is also important because acid wears away enamel on the teeth making them sensitive. Fluoride toothpaste is an excellent “do” for its decay fighting ability, and finally flossing is probably the most important detail to make certain is being performed while wearing braces. Drinking plenty of water helps keep the mouth moist and in healthy condition, but flossing is essential to removing sticky bacteria and maintaining gum health.
The Don’ts of wearing braces
Patients don’t realize the braces themselves have several crannies that can trap food, and therefore plaque. Both tooth decay and gum disease are valid risks of orthodontic treatment, which sometimes patients fail to discover until it’s too late. When wearing braces, patients should always avoid:
- Hard foods – they bend orthodontic wires
- Leaving on corrective rubber bands while eating and brushing
- Biting objects with teeth (to open or otherwise); and
- Picking at the braces (avoid biting fingernails)
Bent wires and damaged braces can prolong orthodontic treatment and create extra visits. If corrective rubber bands are left on while eating and brushing, they simply interfere with the process as well as lose elasticity rendering them ineffective. Biting objects can damage both braces and chip teeth and picking at orthodontics may damage the appliances too.
Going through orthodontic treatment is appealing because it delivers a visually-improved smile. Understanding what to do and what not to do for the sake of maintaining good oral health throughout treatment allows patients to avoid extra dental care and expense such as fillings and periodontal treatment to remedy looming gum disease as a result of their straighter smile.
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