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3 Tips for Keeping Your Braces Clean

December 28, 2020 Image Credit:
Teenage girl smiling while pointing at braces

If you always thought that brushing your teeth was a difficult chore, then getting braces can bring on a whole new set of challenges. However, putting extra effort into keeping your teeth clean isn’t optional while wearing braces. You got braces because you want a beautiful smile when you take them off, not decayed or stained teeth, right?

FOLLOWING ARE SOME TIPS THAT CAN HELP YOU KEEP YOUR TEETH CLEAN WHILE YOU HAVE YOUR BRACES ON

  • Take Extra Time While Brushing You’ve already grown up listening to your parents, and dentists say that you have to brush at least three minutes twice a day to make sure your teeth don’t go bad. However, this becomes even more crucial after you get braces. You need to take time with each tooth and pay attention to all the spots around the braces where food can get stuck. For best results, use a soft toothbrush with fluoride toothpaste and brush for 2 to 5 minutes.
  • Brush After Every Meal Brushing twice a day won’t be enough now. Every time you eat something, the food can get caught in your braces, and it won’t escape naturally. The natural bacteria of your mouth will then interact with these food bits and cause a buildup of plaque and decay. To ensure that bits and pieces of food aren’t stuck between your teeth and braces, brush your teeth after every meal. If you don’t have a toothbrush available after every meal, rinse thoroughly with water and brush as soon as you get home.
  • Switch to Brace-Safe Food When you get braces, you have to start avoiding certain foods that can cause harm to them. Caramel, gum, and other sticky food can get stuck to your teeth and will be almost impossible to remove later on. On the other hand, hard food such as nuts and candy can cause your wires to break. Therefore it is better to avoid these foods altogether for the time being. Instead, switch to soft foods such as bananas, milk, poultry, mangoes, pasta, and even ice cream. Once you get your braces removed, you can switch back to your favorite foods without any worry.
We care about our patients and their dental health and safety. To discuss your future with orthodontics, please contact Kuhni Orthodontic Studio, our Spanish Fork orthodontic office.