You will be shown the proper care of your braces when your orthodontic treatment begins. Proper cleaning of your teeth and mouth is necessary every time you eat, with braces teeth are harder to clean so extra time should be taken when brushing and flossing. If food collects on the teeth and gums it can cause unsightly white spots and gum disease, causing the gums to swell and bleed and pressure from the disease will slow down teeth movement.
Brushing:
You should brush your teeth 4-5 times a day. Basically after each time you eat. Brushing should take longer when you have braces. You should brush 3-5 minutes to make sure you are getting all the surfaces of your teeth, gums and around the braces thoroughly clean. Look in a mirror to check and see if you have missed any places. If your gums bleed when you are brushing, do not avoid brushing, but rather spend extra time on that area. After proper brushing for 3-4 days the bleeding should stop.
Flossing:
You should floss one time per day. We recommend using “Superfloss” so it can be threaded under the wire of the braces.
Fluoride:
Dr. Boyd will usually give you prescription strength fluoride toothpaste to use nightly while wearing braces.
You need to be careful of what you eat while wearing braces:
While you will be able to eat most foods there are a few things you should try to avoid. Hard foods can break braces from the teeth and cause a delay in treatment, meaning you may have to wear your braces longer than estimated. Some examples of hard foods are:
- Ice
- Suckers
- Raw carrots
- Hard candy
You also need to be careful with chewy/sticky foods that can pull on your braces or get stuck in them. Some examples of sticky/chewy foods are:
- Sugar daddies
- Starburst
- Tootsie Rolls
- Laffy Taffy
Your teeth are also not tools, please don’t use them to break things or open things as this can harm your teeth or braces. This in not a complete list but gives you examples of things that should not be eaten with braces.