3 Tips To Help Keep Your Mouth Healthy With Braces

Posted on: 11 August 2015

Getting braces is exciting because it puts you on the path of having a gorgeous smile with straight teeth. You want to make sure that you care for your oral health while you have braces. This helps to ensure that your smile is beautiful once your orthodontist removes your braces. Keep regular appointments with your dentist and orthodontist for required teeth cleanings and adjustments to your braces. Oral hygiene is extremely important. You can also take further steps to ensure that your oral health is maintained while you have braces based on how you clean your mouth and what kind of diet you have. Here are three tips to help keep your mouth healthy with braces.

1. Supplement flossing with oral irrigation.

Taking care of your gums is important whether or not you are wearing braces. Healthy gums support your teeth. Flossing helps to keep food particles from getting stuck between your gums and teeth, lowering your risk of developing gum disease. It can be hard to use dental floss and to successfully get between your teeth and brackets. Until you are comfortable flossing with your braces on, you can supplement your hygienic efforts with oral irrigation. Oral irrigation consists of using a water pick to direct a flow of tap water on to your gums to gently loosen food particles. Talk to your dentist about the best oral hygiene techniques to use while you have braces.

2. Drink dark liquids through a straw.

One major concern when it comes to wearing braces is discoloring your teeth. You should keep your intake of food staining drinks and foods to a minimum. On days when you decide to indulge in soda, coffee, or dark tea, do so by drinking these beverages through a straw. Doing this allows you to enjoy the sugary taste of these drinks without letting the staining liquid come into contact with your teeth.

3. Cut crunchy food into small bites.

Your orthodontist recommends staying away from chewy, crunchy foods while you have braces, but you can still enjoy a crunchy apple or carrot stick if you cut them into small pieces. These crunchy pieces of produce are great for your oral health. The vigorous chewing required to break down these fruits and vegetables stimulates saliva production. The extra saliva helps to wash away food residues that can bond with bacteria to form plaque. Increased saliva in your mouth also helps to balance your oral pH, making your mouth less acidic and therefore less inviting to negative bacteria.

For more information about braces, visit a dental office like Fayetteville Family Dentistry.

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