Oral hygiene is a vital part of a healthy lifestyle. Our teeth are one of the very important parts of our body because they help us in chewing food. Any orthodontic treatment requires careful attention and hygiene practices that you must always keep in mind to prevent any discomfort in the future. However, if you have braces, whether metal or any other kind, it is even more important to take care of your dental hygiene.

Braces are used to correct dental misalignments and ensure that your teeth are aligned well. Given the nature of braces, the dentist always assigns healthy practices that you need to follow in order to maintain your braces and complete your treatment. If you do not follow the following mentioned oral health practices, you are risking obstructing your orthodontic treatment plan and prolonging your treatment. The following tips can help you carefully maintain good oral hygiene with braces and ensure that your treatment is hassle-free and effective.

1. Brush properly

While brushing is important for everyone regardless of braces, it becomes more important to regularly brush your teeth while you have braces. It is easier for food particles and plaque to accumulate around your braces. To prevent cavities or stains, you should try to brush after every meal. If brushing your teeth after every meal seems difficult, then make sure that you at least rinse your mouth after all your meal and brush twice every day. Usually, your dentist will assign proper mouth rinse and toothpaste you need to brush your teeth depending on the particular kind of braces you have. It is important to use the products advised by your dentist to prevent damaging your braces. Your dentist will also explain the correct technique to brush your teeth properly, as you need to hold your toothbrush at an upward angle when brushing from the bottom and a downward angle when brushing the top.

2. Floss regularly

It is vital to floss your teeth regularly when you have braces as it will help in removing food particles stuck between your teeth and your braces. You should floss once every day while you have braces. It is crucial to use the right technique to floss your teeth, as advised by your orthodontist. You also need to floss gently in order to prevent damaging your braces. Always stand in front of the mirror while flossing. Do not pull the floss from under the wire, and change your floss if it is covered in debris. Also, do not forget to properly rinse your mouth properly after you have completed flossing your teeth.

3. Avoid certain foods

While very few food items are entirely off limits when you get braces, your orthodontist will advise you to prevent eating certain kinds of foods to ensure that you don’t damage your braces. Any kind of crunchy, hard foods like nuts, candies, or corn kernels can damage your braces and break the metal wires. Therefore, it is best to always avoid them completely or turn them into forms that do not harm your braces. For example, instead of eating whole nuts and seeds, you can make a powder of them and add them to other foods which are easy to eat with braces. You also need to avoid most foods and drinks which contain high levels of processed sugar to prevent your teeth from getting stained. While eating fruits, make sure you cut them into small pieces instead of biting into the entire fruit. You also should be avoiding all kinds of sticky, chewy food as it can damage your braces and make it extremely difficult to clean your braces and teeth after eating.

4. Pay attention to overall oral care

Although it is a long and arduous process, it is important for every person who wears braces to go for regular, scheduled checkups for their braces. If you correctly follow the advice of your orthodontist, you will have better results from your orthodontic treatment. If your braces break during your treatment, do not delay contacting your dentist, as it can prolong the treatment process or cause injury. Follow the dietary restrictions provided by your dentist and always ensure that you are only using the right kind of products for taking care of your oral hygiene. If you experience any kind of pain, only follow the treatments prescribed by your dentist and book a quick appointment with your dentist as soon as possible.

Conclusion

If you have braces, you need to follow oral hygiene practices to ensure that your braces do not get damaged. You also need to follow certain dietary restrictions advised by your orthodontist. You also need to fully ensure that you are following the correct techniques and products to clean your teeth and care for your braces. The dental tips mentioned above can surely help you a lot in looking after your teeth and braces and ensure that you have a successful orthodontist treatment.