Bartow
With your braces doing the job of straightening your teeth, it is up to you to take proper care of your mouth. If you neglect your teeth while wearing braces, it can slow down the process and cause many avoidable problems. Below are some tips to help you take care of your teeth while you have braces.
Best toothbrushes to use
With brackets and wires on your teeth, it is even easier than usual for food particles to become trapped. These particles, if left in the mouth, can lead to tooth decay and gum infections. They can also stain your teeth and prevent the movement necessary to straighten them. Brushing after every meal will aid in ridding your mouth of food particles before they can cause damage. The best toothbrushes for use with braces will have:
- A small, narrow, head- so that it will be easy to reach every area in your mouth
- Soft bristles- to prevent wearing down your enamel and aggravating your mouth, especially after an adjustment to your braces
- Round-ended bristles- to protect the oral tissue in your mouth
- Right size handle- to ensure the best grip while brushing. Children should use a toothbrush with a wider handle
How to floss with braces
Flossing regularly becomes even more important when you have braces. Floss is able to loosen up and remove food particles in between your teeth, where tooth brush bristle cannot reach. When flossing with braces, you should:
- Use waxed floss- it will glide easier around the brackets, wires, etc.
- Use enough floss- you will need enough to thread through the braces
- Thread carefully- use a floss threader to ease the floss under the wire of your braces so you can floss between your teeth.
- Floss often- if you are able to floss your teeth after every meal, it will greatly lessen your chances of developing cavities or plaque build up
Using a Waterpik with braces
A Waterpik is a motorized device that pumps a stream of pressurized water directly into your mouth. Waterpiks are easier to maneuver around braces than floss, although many experts believe that floss is more effective at removing plaque from teeth. Waterpiks are very good at removing large pieces of food from braces. It is recommended that you still floss, even if you also use a Waterpik, to ensure that you are cleaning your teeth as thoroughly as possible.
These tips will help you take care of your mouth while you wear braces. For more information, and to find out the names of the products we tested, contact us today at EA Smiles.