Getting braces is a big deal – and a big milestone in anyone’s life. Whether you get braces as a child, teen, or adult, you are taking steps to improve your beautiful smile. Naturally, you want your smile to look as good as possible both during and after your orthodontic treatment, but sometimes caring for teeth while in treatment can be difficult. Food and plaque may not come off your teeth with brushing alone, so using tools like small wire brushes or water flossers can help dislodge small bits of debris from between the teeth, wires, and brackets.
If you don’t properly clean your teeth with braces, not only will your teeth look bad, but your breath could smell bad, and you could be at an increased risk of cavities. Worse yet, not caring for your teeth while wearing braces can cause permanent discoloration in the form of white spots on the enamel of the teeth.
This is why it’s so important to make sure you are properly caring for your teeth by paying extra close attention to them during your orthodontic journey. If you’re concerned about developing white spots on your teeth during your braces treatment, here are a few tips to try to prevent these permanent spots from appearing!
- Brush and floss regularly (twice a day for two minutes at a time for brushing, and at least once a day for flossing with regular dental floss. You can use a floss loop to help get around the wires and reach between your teeth with ease).
- Use a water flosser to loosen and rinse away plaque and debris from your wires, brackets, and any other orthodontic equipment such as spacers or expanders.
- Avoid sugary foods, sticky foods, excessive carbohydrates, and other cavity-causing foods
- Use whitening toothpastes to help reduce stains and discoloration
- Attend your regular dental exams and cleanings with Dr. Abelar to remove tartar buildup on the teeth.
Remember, braces are an investment in your oral health. They can improve your bite, which could reduce pain while chewing and prevent damage like cracking or breaking to your teeth. But they also make your smile beautiful. Protect the investment in your smile, and make sure you are taking excellent care of your teeth while you undergo your orthodontic treatment.
To learn more about your orthodontic options, or for more tips on how to best clean your braces, please contact Dr. Abelar’s office today!
