How To Keep Your Teeth Looking Great When Wearing Braces
Orthodontic treatment is quite an investment, but in the long run
, it's one of the best investments you can make for yourself or your children. The whole point of braces and orthodontic treatment is to make the teeth look better and in the end, to have a healthier mouth. But if the patient is not doing their part to keep their orthodontic devices clean, the teeth will suffer as well, and the treatment will be rendered pointless. In order to help you have the best possible smile during treatment, and long after you've gotten your braces off, here are a few tips to help your smile sparkle.
1) If you have braces on already, you probably already know that you have to step up your dental care more than ever before. Traditional braces have many nooks and crannies that can trap food and plaque. If left on the teeth or in these nooks and crannies, plaque and food build up and result in tooth decay and gum disease. If you're slacking on brushing and flossing, you might start to notice white spots on the teeth. This is the result of enamel erosion, an early stage of tooth decay.
2) Early tooth decay and Gingivitis, or inflamed, bleeding gums, may be reversed by taking special care of your teeth and paying close attention to your diet. If these two signs of dental problems are left untreated, they can lead to bigger, more painful, and more unsightly problems that will require even more treatment, with effects that could follow you for life. That's why it's very important to continue to have regular check-ups with your orthodontist while you're undergoing orthodontic treatment. This way, any little problems can be nipped in the bud before they become big problems.
3) As mentioned above, diet is an integral part of healthy teeth during and after your braces treatment. Dentists are becoming more and more concerned about highly acidic food and drinks. The higher acid content, the more vulnerable your teeth and their protective enamel are to erosion. High acid foods like sodas, sports drinks, juices, oranges, pineapples, etc. are examples of highly acidic food and drinks. Some low acid alternatives are bananas, mangoes, melon, cucumbers, milk, water and soup. Sugary foods can lead to tooth decay and starchy foods like potato chips can stick to teeth and lead to decay. If you absolutely have to have some snack foods, which most of us do sometimes, just be sure to properly clean your teeth and braces after eating.
4) When brushing, you should use a toothpaste with fluoride and a soft, compact toothbrush to clean. When brushing around your braces, place the brush at a 45 degree angle and brush each tooth in a circular motion. This is the ideal way to brush because you're freeing up any food or plaque that may be caught on top of the bracket.
5) When brushing your braces, spend about 10 seconds on each tooth before moving on. This way each and every area of your mouth gets and adequate scrub down.
by: Mark Etinger
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