Protecting Your BracesIf you have been in to see All About Orthodontics®, then you may be the wearer of some great and wonderful braces. Now that you are wearing your new braces, you may have a few questions about how to keep your braces in good shape. The better you can keep your braces protected, the sooner you can get your braces off, and your teeth will be straight and perfect. You need to know that caring for your braces is really important because if you don't, you will continuously have to come in to see us to get wires or brackets replaced. Over time, this could result in you being in your braces longer, and no one wants that. With the information we have below, you can keep your braces protected and get your braces removed on time. Brushing and FlossingOne of the first and best things you can do to keep your braces protected is to have excellent oral hygiene. You will need to brush and floss your teeth each time you eat. Good oral hygiene means that you will not allow plaque to form on your gums or your teeth. You want to get rid of plaque as much as possible because that plaque causes cavities and gum disease. The plaque can harden, and eventually becomes tartar. The problem with plaque and tartar is that if you are not careful with your oral hygiene, you may have tooth decay on your teeth when your braces come off, and you won’t want to get cavities filled the minute your braces are removed. Avoiding FoodsYou can also protect your braces by avoiding some foods that you would typically eat. If you continue to eat the same foods you love without thinking about your braces, you may have to get brackets or wires replaced due to damage. Brackets are the pieces on your teeth - usually made of metal - that are cemented to the front of them. Wires are threaded through the brackets to move your teeth into their correct positions. It would be best if you stayed away from hard foods such as popcorn, ice, hard candy, and even some raw fruits and vegetables. If you love fruits and veggies, you could cut them before you eat them. In addition to hard foods, you need to stay away from sticky foods as well, because they can cause trouble for you and your braces. Examples of sticky sweet foods you can’t eat include taffy, gum, and caramel. If you eat these kinds of foods, you may pull your wires and brackets off, trying to get the sticky food off your teeth. MouthguardsSports can damage your braces as well. If you are an athlete, you need to protect your braces by wearing a mouthguard. The mouthguard needs to cover your teeth, and it means if you have a blow to the face, it won’t damage your braces. Mouthguards are great at protecting your mouth from whatever sport you happen to play - contact and non-contact sports. Mouthguards distribute the energy from a blow to the head. This means that none of your teeth will take all of the damage. Do you need more information on protecting your teeth during the time you are wearing braces? We can help. Give All About Orthodontics® a call at 586-999-8818 for Warren location or at 734-999-4774 for Southgate location. |
 Dentistry Made Affordable Warren586-999-8818 Southgate734-999-4774 Clinton Township586-834-8000 HoursMon - Fri: 9:00am - 7:00pm Sat: 9:00am - 4:00pm |
