Dental hygiene when wearing braces

Before having an orthodontic appliance fitted, the patient must have all dental conditions treated, caries, periodontal, endodontic, extractions of irrecoverable teeth (root debris), wisdom molars or other teeth (to create the necessary space). This is very important in order to prevent problems from worsening because of braces, teeth hygiene is more difficult to achieve.

Tips for dental hygiene when wearing braces

1. Brushing after every meal

• Because of the brackets, sarms, elastics food adheres much faster and is even harder to remove. 
• Brushing should take a minimum of 3 minutes to be effective. 
• It is performed from the gum towards the tooth, with either circular or vertical movements, but they should be short and energetic. 
• The brush should be soft or ultrasoft and changed every 2-3 months. 
• To check if the brushing is effective, you can use plaque developer, which is available in chewable tablets. The plaque will be colored red and indicates where extra attention needs to be paid to make sure that the areas covered by braces have been cleaned.

2. Using the brush for braces

• Their purpose is to remove food debris between the brackets and the wire from the braces, that area being more difficult to reach with a normal brush. 

3. Using mouthwash

• It is essential when wearing braces, as it cleans plaque and food debris between the teeth, at the base of the teeth and around the teeth. braces.
• It is ideally used after every meal, but if this is not possible, it is mandatory in the evening before brushing. 
• A mouth douche is a device that uses water pressure. It is also known as a mouth irrigator and can be bought in pharmacies or home appliance stores. 
• There is a wide range to choose from: they are either portable or have built-in electric toothbrushes. Prices range from 100 to 800 lei. 
• It is very important to use it to sanitize the teeth both externally and internally.

4. Using mouthwash

• It is recommended to use a cleanly labeled mouthwash with natural ingredients.

5. Visit to the dentist for dental hygiene every 3 months

• This is recommended to prevent any tooth decay or periodontal disease while wearing braces.
• If these problems occur while wearing braces, sometimes it is necessary to remove the braces to treat them, which prolongs the treatment time and costs. 
• Complete sanitization with ultrasonic cleaning, professional brushing and air-flow is recommended. 

6. Flossing

• It is indeed much more difficult to use dental floss, it takes a lot of patience and is more time-consuming, but it is essential, because it is used to clean the interdental spaces and those between the tooth and the orthodontic appliance.

7. Watch what you eat

• Patients who have orthodontic braces must also be careful with their diet, so hard foods such as peanuts, chips, carrots, apples, but also sticky foods: caramels, gums, jellies, should be avoided.
• You can still eat your favorite foods, but they must be cut into small pieces to avoid detaching the brackets, bending the wire. 
• If this happens, then the treatment period is prolonged and involves additional visits and additional costs. 
• Also, a diet high in carbohydrates and refined sugar can lead to demineralization and tooth decay.

8. Using dental wax

• Sometimes the components of an orthodontic appliance can cause injuries to the cheek or lip. To prevent this, dental wax can be used. 

After the actual treatment period, there follows the period of retention, during which a retention appliance consisting of a wire bonded with composite material will be mounted on the inside of the teeth. The purpose of this appliance is to hold the teeth in place and preserve the result. It must be maintained as well as an orthodontic appliance because it retains plaque more quickly. 

Although it may seem like a lot of effort to wear braces, we have to think about the Hollywood smile we will have after the treatment is completed. If you need any further information, don't hesitate to contact us.