Please be advised that while you or your child is wearing orthodontic appliances, increased attention to oral hygiene is necessary.
Oral Hygiene
Bands, brackets and wires trap food and debris and can create permanent damage to teeth and gums and possibly extend treatment time. Therefore, we encourage both the patient and the parent to be actively involved in the care of the patient's teeth.
Oral Hygiene Recommendations
- Sonic electric toothbrush and a fluoride toothpaste. Brush at least twice a day for two to four minutes
- Flossing daily using floss threaders, followed by fluoride mouth rinse such as ACT or Fluorigard. After fluoride rinse do not eat or drink for two hours following its use.
- Avoid or minimize your sugar product intake.
- Additional brushing and cleaning aids are
- Listerine mouth wash
- Proxy brush
- Water Pik
- Platypus Flosser
If you or your child has any questions on how to properly care for their mouth, we will be always available to help you with your oral hygiene needs.
Foods to Avoid
Certain types of food should be avoided because they can damage the orthodontic appliances and can also cause decay and gum diseases.
HARD FOOD: Hard food can damage orthodontic appliances by distorting the wires, loosening the cement under the bands, or breaking the brackets that are attached to the teeth.
STICKY FOOD: Sticky food can loosen bands and pull the wire out of the slot-chewy candies, etc.
FOOD HIGH IN SUGAR CONTENT: Foods high in sugar content cause increased plaque accumulation, which causes gum diseases and cavities - cookies, cakes, soda, candies.
CRUNCHY FOODS: Crunchy food can knock off the brackets or cause them to become loosened.
Some foods of this type are listed below along with some ways that they may be eaten practically.
| Raw Vegetables (carrots, celery, etc) |
Cut into thin slices or curls |
| Fruits (apples, pears, etc) |
Always cut into thin wedges |
| Corn on the Cob |
Cut the corn kernels off of the cob before eating |
| French Breads, Bagels, Pizza |
Tear or cut into small pieces and be very careful |
CHEWING ICE CUBES, PENS, PENCILS AND FINGER NAILS IS NOT ALLOWED. It can damage your braces . Damaged braces will take longer treatment time.
Always remember to rinse your mouth with water after drinking any drink other than water.
Brushing and flossing are very important.
In spite of all your care, you may damage your appliances by accident. If you do notice a loose or broken bracket, band, wire or if something comes out, please call the office. Save the band and bring it with you to the office. If you have a broken wire or a wire poking, please apply wax and call the office
Getting Used to Braces
It takes a few days for the cheeks, tongue and lips to get used to the braces. Initially there may be some soreness as well due to the gentle pressure being applied to move teeth. To minimize soreness take Tylenol or Advil. Brackets may cause some irritation. If this occurs:
- Rolling a small piece of orthodontic wax into a pea size ball, place it over the area of the braces, which are causing irritation.
- Use a warm salt water rinse to heal the irritation
- Some over-the-counter products such as Zilactin-B may help as well
- If a wire comes loose and sticks you on the inside of your mouth: Try tucking it in with the eraser end of a pencil. If that does not work place wax over the wire to prevent further sticking.
This will provide relief to the area. Please notify the office of any other problems.
Braces are not indestructible! In fact, they can be easily loosened or even broken if you are not careful.
Athletics
If you play sports, it's important that you consult us for special precautions. We can give you a generic protective mouthguard that fit around your braces.
Please do not use a boiled mouthguard, since the teeth are moving.