Brushing and Hygiene
You will notice that it is much harder to keep your teeth clean with braces. Food catches in the brackets and between your teeth, and plaque builds up especially at the gum line areas. If plaque remains on the teeth for any length of time, it may leave a permanent white scar on the surface.
Brushing after meals should become part of your daily schedule. Try to brush at least four times a day. Use a soft toothbrush with firm pressure Brush first with a wet toothbrush without tooth paste. This will enhance your visibility so that you can see that the important areas are clean. Brush at a 45 degree angle to the tooth; brush in small circles above and below the brackets. Concentrate on the gumline areas. Repeat the procedure using toothpaste. Both steps should take two minutes total.
Your toothbrush will wear out faster because of your appliances, so be sure to replace it whenever the bristles start to fray. A waterpik can be a useful tool for dislodging food particles and for massaging gums but it cannot remove the sticky plaque that adheres to the teeth. An electric toothbrush may also be recommended depending on the individuals oral health. A proxybrush is very useful for cleaning around brackets and in spaces between teeth. Flossing is more important than ever and should be done daily.
Floss threaders are needed unless you decide to try superfloss. It has a threader end, a thicker section for extra cleaning and floss at the other end. It should be very effective. In addition, rinsing with a Listerine product at least once a day can help reduce plaque bacteria.
Lastly, brushing with a prescription toothpaste at bedtime helps to harden the enamel surface of the teeth, thus reducing the risk of white spots and cavities.
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Brush after every meal.
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| 1. Use a toothbrush with a small amount of toothpaste. |
2. Use circular, vibrating motions around the gumline for about 10 seconds on each tooth. |
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| 3. Brush every tooth slowly. |
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4. Brush the lower teeth up and the upper teeth down. Also brush your tongue and the roof of your mouth. |
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Floss nightly after brushing to remove the plaque missed by brushing.
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| 1. Carefully pull waxed floss between wire and braces. |
2. Floss carefully around the braces. |
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| 3. Floss carefully around the gum area. |
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4. Floss around each tooth. |
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Results
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Proper Oral Hygiene
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Improper Brushing and Flossing
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Eating Habi ts
Please do not eat hard foods: nuts, ice, crisp taco shells, whole apples and raw carrots (cut them into pieces first), hard French bread crust and rolls, spareribs, corn on the cob (cut the corn off the cob before eating), and popcorn! These foods risk breaking brackets and wires. Also beware of nail biting and pen or pencil chewing habits, since these can damage your braces. Do not eat sticky foods: taffy, caramels, bubble gum, sticky candy of any sort. A small piece of sugarless gum occasionally is acceptable.
Use common sense about most foods.
Absolutely No
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| Gum |
Sugarless or otherwise
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| Sticky Foods |
Caramels
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Sugar Daddies |
Starbursts |
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Carameled Apples
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Sugar Babies |
Licorice |
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Toffee
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Tootsie Rolls |
Now & Laters |
| Hard Foods |
Nuts
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Popcorn |
Bagels |
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Apples
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Corn on the Cob |
Pizza Crusts |
| Carrots (uncooked) |
Doritos |
Pretzels |
Minimize Sugar Intake
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| Eat Much Less |
Candy |
Ice Cream |
Cake |
| Cookies |
Pie |
Foods with Sugar |
| Drink Much Less |
Pop |
Drinks with Sugar |
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Inter-visit Repairs
Check braces weekly for anything loose or bent. If an anterior bracket or molar anchor loosens or if a wire breaks, please call our office so that we can arrange an appointment to repair it within a week's time. If your next regularly scheduled visit is about a week away and you need a repair, let us know and the repair can be done at that time. A broken brace on the side between the front six teeth and posterior molar usually does not need to be repaired immediately and can wait until your next visit. We refer to the side teeth or bicuspids as the auxiliary anchors.
Sore Teeth
After braces are placed in the mouth, it is normal for the teeth to be sore for about 2 or 3 days. Tylenol or Advil will help relieve this discomfort as well as eating a soft food diet. Do not go to a liquid diet only. While chewing may be uncomfortable, it helps the teeth to loosen and begin moving which will alleviate the soreness more quickly. Some irritation to the cheeks and tongue is normal and may take up to a week to heal. If you feel anything sharp is poking you or any sores are developing, please call our office as soon as possible.
Elastics
Attached to your braces, elastics (rubber bands) exert the proper force that creates the right amount of pressure to move teeth. In order for this force to remain constant, elastics must be worn all the time and changed every day. Any time missed in wearing your elastics will only make your treatment take longer, so remember these things:
1. You are responsible for placing the elastics on your braces between appointments. Make sure to wear them as instructed. Remove them only when brushing your teeth, gums and braces after meals. Then put them back on immediately.
2. Always carry a few elastics with you, so if one breaks you can replace it right away. If your supply is low, call the office and we will mail you an additional supply of elastics.
3. If you forget to insert your elastics one day, don't double up the next day- just follow your regular instructions.
4. Elastics do wear out. When they lose their elasticity, they don't provide the proper pressure on your teeth and jaws. It is very important to change them as directed, even when they are not broken.
If your elastics break frequently, a wire or band loosens, or a hook breaks off - call our office immediately. Don't wait until your next appointment. These problems need to be corrected as soon as possible so as not to delay your treatment unnecessarily!
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