6 Habits to Break Before Receiving Your Orthodontic Braces

August 23, 2018 Image Credit:

Until you get used to having your braces and learning what you can and cannot do while wearing them, we will be happy to provide you with a list of a few things you should avoid during orthodontic treatment. These precautions are meant to help you avoid breaking off your brackets, shifting your wires, or causing pain or damage to your oral health.

THINGS TO AVOID WHILE WEARING BRACES

Below are 6 things to avoid doing while wearing orthodontic braces:
  1. Neglect to Floss – Flossing is more important during orthodontic treatment than ever! This is because the brackets and wires make it even more likely for food particles and bacteria to become stuck in the mouth. Without brushing and flossing to remove food particles and plaque, your teeth will become much more susceptible to tooth decay and dental cavities. We know that it takes a few extra steps to floss with braces on, but it’s worth it!
  2. Chew Ice – Chewing on ice isn’t great for your teeth even when you don’t have braces. However, with braces on, chewing ice can very easily bend a wire or break a bracket off of the tooth. Avoid chewing other hard things as well, such as hard candies or popcorn kernels.
  3. Grind Your Teeth – If you grind your teeth or suspect that you grind or clench your teeth at night, please let us know. We can have you fitted with a custom night guard to wear to bed to prevent you from damaging your teeth and braces at night.
  4. Chew Gum – Gum and any other sticky substances such as taffy should be avoided during orthodontic treatment. This is because they can become stuck to the brackets, bands, and wires and placing stress on the hardware, which could cause them to break. Broken braces can be expensive and painful to fix.
  5. Use Teeth as Tools – It’s never advisable to use your teeth as tools, but it’s an even worse idea to use teeth as tools while wearing braces. You can easily chip or weaken the teeth or damage your orthodontic appliances.
  6. Drink Carbonation – Sugary, carbonated beverages such as soda can cause the glue holding the brackets onto the teeth to dissolve. This will make them much more vulnerable to falling off. These drinks aren’t great for your oral or overall health anyway, so it’s a good idea to avoid them altogether.
To learn more about how to take care of your orthodontic appliances or if you need to make an appointment with Dr. Kam Kuhni here in Spanish Fork, Utah, please contact Kuhni Orthodontic Studio today!