One Goal You Can’t Ignore

We hope you are enjoying the holiday season. Have you thought of any goals you’d like to achieve in 2020? As an orthodontist, there’s one goal we think is especially important for patients who wear braces.

Taking better care of your dental health is always a good goal to have because it affects both the look of your teeth and how they function. When wearing braces, it’s especially important to take extra care of your teeth because brackets and wires can get in the way of brushing and flossing.

Here are some reminders of how to keep your teeth healthy and why it’s important to do so:

• Brush and floss: You already know that you should brush your teeth twice a day and floss at least once, right? With braces, brushing and flossing becomes more important because food can get caught in your braces and in between teeth and can be hard to get out. You may have to take extra care with dental hygiene, making sure to brush softly but thoroughly.There are different types of floss that can help get in between your teeth. Use waxed floss with a floss threader to help you slip in between your teeth easily. Without flossing, your chances of developing plaque and tartar buildup increases, which can also lead to gum disease. After all the time and effort you’ve put into having braces, the last thing you want is to have damaged teeth and gums because you didn’t care for them properly.
• Protect your teeth: If you participate in sports or other fitness activities like karate or boxing, you should consider protecting your braces by wearing a mouth guard. Getting hit in the mouth by a ball or hand can cause your braces to cut the inside of your mouth. A stronger hit to the teeth can damage your braces and teeth, as well.
• Orthodontic appointments: Try your best to stick with your orthodontic appointments. It’s important to make adjustments during the process. The more we are able to make those adjustments on time, the sooner you will be able to remove the braces and experience an improved smile.

From all of us here at The Best Braces team, we wish you a happy holiday season and look forward to seeing you in the new year.