What Your Orthodontist Wants You to Know About Braces
Posted on: 22 September 2017
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Are you on the verge of having braces? Congratulations, because you're taking the first step towards straighter teeth. Not only does this make smiling feel more effortless, but also it can help with word formation and chewing too.
Before an orthodontist installs your braces, there are some essential facts they may want you to know:
The stuff that catches around braces harms your teeth
No matter what type of braces you opt for, there's scope for food getting stuck there. When the food sticks there, it acts as fuel for bacteria to grow. In addition, metal braces are especially likely to attract gatherings of plaque, which may become acidic and cause further damage to your teeth.
With this comes the need to clean your braces thoroughly. Your orthodontist may provide or recommend special brushes that make this easier. You may even need to go and visit them for dental irrigation. While attending lots of appointments for yourself or your child is time-consuming, it does protect your teeth's integrity.
How to brush your teeth when you're wearing braces
When you or your child are brushing your teeth, try to hold the brush at a 45-degree angle. Brush backwards and forwards and don't forget to target the biting area of the teeth. Then you need to start tackling the brackets of your braces. Pull your lip clear of the teeth so you can get a good view and use a specialist brush to remove the items of food that are stuck in there. Ideally, you'll also use standard floss to make sure you remove food from between your teeth.
While this might all sound a little arduous, the results are worth it. When the braces come off, there will be less plaque staining.
You can engage in oral irrigation at home
Did you know you can now engage in oral irrigation at home? It's a great advance in the world of orthodontics and it keeps your braces super-clean. In addition to helping your braces, it'll also stop you from experiencing bleeding gums. Oral irrigators use streams of water that move in relatively strong pulses to clear food and debris from the braces. There are multiple devices on the market, so you may want to ask your orthodontist which one they recommend.
If you have any queries about your braces or orthodontics in general, write the questions down for your next appointment. With the more information you have, the easier it is to care for your braces.