Braces have been around for decades. Even the parents of our young patients are reminiscing about days of having to wear headgear to school in addition to having their mouths full of metal. And although technology has made braces more attractive and less of a monstrosity, braces still require a good amount of upkeep and care. Read on to learn more about how to properly care for your braces.
- Avoid the Food On the List
Once you receive your braces, we will provide you with a list of foods to avoid like the plague— popcorn, bubblegum, and taffy top the list. And although it might seem like your we’re overreacting and being bit melodramatic about foods to avoid, we aren’t lying. Foods like popcorn and bubblegum can easily get trapped between your brackets or lodged onto your wires, causing you to have to scrape it out and it may even cause your wires to become loose. So although it might be nice to brush off these suggestions as unnecessary, think twice before you reach for that movie theater popcorn. - Brush Your Teeth
Everybody has had at least a handful of those nights in which you crawl into bed too tired to brush your teeth. And although you might be able to get away with doing that a few times a year, it’s a big “no no” for those who have braces. Because food and tartar are more likely to build-up and get trapped underneath the brackets and wires of your braces, you are more prone to getting cavities. In order to avoid these cavities completely, make sure you brush your teeth morning, night, and after every meal. - Mouthwash
Another great tool in order to get rid of the food trapped in between your brackets is to use mouthwash. Infused with an alcohol based substance, mouthwash will not only work to get any food trapped between your teeth and braces, but it will also work to rid your mouth of any bacteria that might be trapped as well.
Straight, sparkling smiles take some extra care. To learn more about how to properly care for your braces, give us a call at 480-657-6981!