Oldham Orthodontics
Cleaning your teeth is vital to your good health. Whether it is for prevention - to avoid tooth decay, gum disease or tooth de-calcification, or whether it is just to be able to smile with confidence, keeping your teeth cleaned and flossed is essential. But wearing a fixed brace places even more importance on your teeth cleaning habits. Here are some tips on how to make sure you clean your teeth properly and let your brace do its job.
Thoroughly, and after every meal, so that food does not become lodged in your teeth or brace. Just make sure you leave it an hour or so after eating first. A smaller headed toothbrush is also a good option.
Your style of brushing will probably already be established (and is hopefully correct), so the key thing to remember is to concentrate on each tooth individually and the gum line around each of them.
It certainly is. Healthy foods that do not encourage the build-up of plaque or tooth decay are much better. The size of your food may also need to be altered at first. Softer foods in smaller pieces will be better for you. Remember - no fizzy drinks, nothing too hard, and nothing too sticky or chewy too. That will help keep the brace and your teeth clean.
Floss of course. It may be fiddly, and you may need to practice, but floss (or floss sticks/interdental sticks) are the best way of cleaning debris out of hard-to-reach areas and getting under the brace wires. Why is that important? Well if food particles are not removed they will invite tooth decay.
You'll just need to check with your orthodontist for sure, but for most people, the use of a fluoride mouth rinse will also help to keep your mouth and teeth cleaner during your treatment.
