Whether you’re an adolescent or an adult, the decision to wear braces is an important one. The results of wearing braces can include benefits such as a more beautiful smile, a healthier mouth, and greater self-confidence. You will also have a better bite and an easier time chewing. However, once they are in place, it is just as important to learn how to care for your braces. With the help of the professionals at Splendid Dental Woodlands, you will develop good habits for taking care of your braces for the duration of your treatment.
The brackets and wires of braces have tiny spaces where food and bacteria can hide. Your mouth is more susceptible to tooth decay and gum disease when you or your child neglect dental hygiene. Because of the increased risk, taking care of your teeth and gums while wearing braces is more important than if you weren’t wearing them. You will see the results you want and avoid complications while wearing braces if you take care of them.
How to Care for Braces Throughout Your Treatment
It’s important to know how to care for your braces through your diet. While wearing your braces, you will be able to enjoy most foods. Soft foods such as cheese, bread, ice cream, and rice are easy on your appliances and are welcome to those who experience sore gums. However, you should avoid hard foods such as apples, nuts, hard rolls, and ice. These types of foods can loosen wires and break brackets.
You should adopt several daily hygiene habits when taking care of braces. It is important to brush twice a day. If you eat certain foods that can stain, get caught in, or stick to your braces, such as spinach, popcorn, and berries, you may find that brushing after each meal is more appropriate. You will avoid unwanted plaque and decalcification of your enamel with proper brushing, which are two conditions common for those who wear braces. You should also floss your teeth at least twice a day using floss threaders or floss picks to get around and behind the wires and brackets. Splendid Dental Woodlands specialists will show you the proper techniques for flossing and brushing your teeth and braces using a manual or electric toothbrush.
How to Care for Braces That Are Nontraditional
Styles of braces have changed over the years. Regardless of the type you choose, learning how to care for your braces is an important part of getting a better smile. At Splendid Dental Woodlands, you now have the option to choose traditional metal braces, clear ceramic braces, Invisalign aligners, clear aligners, and Fastbraces.
The Splendid Dental professionals who provide orthodontics are specially trained to install traditional and nontraditional braces. Clear ceramic braces are a good choice for adults or older kids who have concerns about the cosmetic effects of braces. However, they require more diligent oral hygiene because they tend to show food and stains more readily. The ceramic brackets are also more brittle than the metal brackets, so you should be careful when eating hard foods. The brackets and wires associated with Fastbraces are similar to traditional metal braces. The treatment duration is less with Fastbraces, resulting in a shorter braces oral hygiene regimen.
How to Care for Braces If You Play Sports
Knowing how to care for your braces and protecting them while playing sports is crucial. Getting hit in your braces with a ball or elbow can result in painful cuts and swelling on the inside of your mouth. It can also make it harder for you to bear the gum soreness associated with shifting teeth. You can protect your braces and mouth by wearing a mouthguard that’s customized to fit over your braces.
Contact Splendid Dental Woodlands for Your Orthodontics Needs
You can get all of your orthodontics needs to be met with the professionals at Splendid Dental. Contact Splendid Dental Woodlands at 713-587-9996 today to get your questions answered and set up an appointment.