Protecting your Braces Have you been in to see Senestraro Family Orthodontics lately? If you have, you may have some new braces on that soon-to-be fabulous smile of yours. We give you our congratulations because a better smile is on the way. When you finish treatment, your smile with be healthy, straight, and beautiful. If you recently got braces, or you have been wearing them for a while, you need to make sure you guard your braces carefully. Caring for your braces is very important, because if they are not taken care of, you may have to pay us more visits, which might delay your treatment. You might have to wait longer to get your braces removed. Let us help you with that. If you use this information, you can protect the health of your braces and your teeth in general.First, Brushing and FlossingOne of the most important things you can do to protect your braces is to brush and floss those braces every time you eat. You need to practice good oral care because if you do, you are going a long way towards protecting your teeth. If you are brushing and flossing your teeth after each meal, you are not allowing plaque to form on your teeth or gums. Plaque, a sticky goop that covers your teeth, can cause both cavities and gum disease. If you allow plaque to sit on top of your braces, that spells trouble for you. Over time, that plaque can harden and create cavities underneath your braces. You won’t be able to notice your cavities until your braces are removed, and that may result in getting teeth filled or whitened. Avoiding FoodsAnother way to protect your braces is to avoid eating certain foods. If you continue to eat the same foods that you did before braces. you could break your brackets or wires. Brackets are pieces of metal or plastic cemented to your teeth with dental cement. Some examples of hard foods that you need to stay clear of include popcorn, hard candy, and ice. They can also include veggies and fruits, such as apples and carrots. You will either need to avoid these foods altogether or cut them up before you eat them. You also need to avoid sticky foods and sweet foods, because they can create trouble for your braces. These sticky, sweet foods include caramels and gum, as well as other candies that could stick to your braces. Pulling sticky sweet foods off your braces could cause cavities underneath your braces or break your braces. MouthguardsYou can also damage your mouth through sports, as well. If you love playing a sport, but you wear braces, you need protection for your mouth. You will need to wear a mouthguard that covers your braces and protects them from blows to the mouth. Any sport can damage your teeth if you receive a blow to the mouth or to the face. It doesn’t matter which sport you play, you need to wear a mouthguard. If you don’t, you may be visiting us to get wires or brackets fixed. If you need more information to care for and protect your teeth while wearing braces, we can help you. Give Senestraro Family Orthodontics a call at (503) 917-5352. We can talk to you about the best way to protect your mouth. |
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