How Do I Take Care Of My Teeth With Braces?

Are you or a loved one currently receiving orthodontic care from our office? Are you brushing and cleaning your teeth as often and as well as you should? Before you started your treatment, we should have reviewed the importance of properly caring for your teeth during treatment. When patients are receiving orthodontic care, they have to change the way they clean and care for their teeth. At times, they may need to use special tools to ensure that their teeth are receiving the proper care. Continue reading to learn some of the best cleaning tools to have on hand when wearing braces, retainers, aligners, or other orthodontic hardware.

Do Teeth Need to be Cared for Differently?

Maintaining proper oral hygiene while under orthodontic care is imperative. The additional hardware in your mouth can make it difficult to use regular hygiene products and clean your teeth properly. Many patients, especially children and teenagers, fail to realize that the care they show their teeth today will impact their oral health in the future. Poor oral hygiene while under orthodontic care can lead to problems, such as severe decay and the need for multiple dental treatments as an adult.

Important Tools to Ensure Proper Cleaning

The first step to maintaining your oral health during orthodontic care is to make sure to brush teeth a minimum of four times per day. We recommend brushing after each meal and then again before bed. If you have a sugary dessert or are snacking frequently, brushing again would be wise. If you work outside of the home or are a student, carrying a travel-size toothpaste, dental floss or picks, and a toothbrush would be a great idea to ensure that you are brushing after lunch. There are a number of tools that are also helpful in ensuring that you are cleaning your teeth properly:

• Water
• Dental picks
• Mouthwash
• Interproximal brush
• Floss
• Mirror

If you have any questions about the proper way to clean the teeth or need recommendations for cleaning tools, be sure to contact our office located in Southfield, MI. As always, we are also here for any other orthodontic needs you may have and we look forward to seeing you soon!