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 How to Care for Teeth with Braces
Adolescents Grades 6-12
Keeping the teeth and braces clean requires more precision and time, and must be done every day if the teeth and gums are to be healthy during and after orthodontic treatment. Braces are applied by an orthodontist to help straighten teeth. Braces that have been damaged will most likely cause treatment to take longer and will require extra trips to the dentist. This is why it is so important to take the right precautions when wearing braces.
How to Take Care of Braces
- The most important factor in keeping teeth and gums healthy during orthodontic treatment is brushing and flossing. The American Association of Orthodontics recommends the person brush and floss teeth after every meal and before going to bed. It is important to keep the teeth clean because food can get caught in the braces and cavities will form. Brushing with braces on the teeth is more difficult than regular brushing. Some orthodontists will prescribe a 4 % fluoride gel to brush with, to strengthen teeth even further and to avoid cavities.
- Some children and teenagers do not like to brush their teeth, however, if they do not brush their teeth it can have disastrous results. Food will get caught in their braces and cause halitosis. Serious decay will occur and possibly even gum disease. People with braces need to brush often and brush thoroughly.
- Use a regular toothbrush first and brush normally. Some orthodontists give out special toothbrushes to reach hard to get spots. One toothbrush looks like a bottlebrush and it is used to go under the wire and between brackets to scrub where your toothbrush cannot go. Other cleaning tools the dentist might suggest; waterpik, interdental brushes, electric toothbrush, rubber tips, or floss-threaders.
- If you have a retainer, biteplate, or another removable appliance, scrub them with baking soda to clean them each day. You can use toothpaste, or an effervescent denture cleaner to clean these appliances.
- The next step in taking care of braces is avoiding the foods that can break or pull off the braces. Gum is usually not recommended. Other foods to avoid are anything that is sticky, gooey or overly crunchy. Hard foods that require biting with the front teeth can knock off a bracket. Cut apples and carrots into small bite sized pieces before eating them. Do not chew on ice. Smoking is not a good idea when you have braces either, because when the brackets are removed little white squares will appear on every slightly discolored tooth. Costly bleaching treatments do not always fix this problem.
- Always follow the orthodontist’s directions for any mouth equipment prescribed to the patient. Not following these orders may increase the length of time for wearing the braces. If wearing rubber bands to control the bite, change them as prescribed. Take off the rubber bands before each meal and put in new ones after eating. Change the rubber bands before going to bed.
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