For many teens and adults, braces are a part of life. The orthodontic treatment straightens teeth, of course, but can also cause smile shyness, pain and discomfort at the same time. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to avoid the negatives that come with your impending or current braces. And, by using them to your advantage, you’ll have the picture-perfect grin you’ve imagined with no sweat off your back.
Here’s how to make your life with braces an easy one:
1. Brush Your Teeth Properly
Of course, you already know how to take care of your teeth. But brushing with braces requires you to use a gentle hand, so as not to bend or break any element of your orthodontic treatment. Plus, neglecting your oral care at this time can cause tooth decay or decalcification, as well as gum inflammation. So, adopt the following brushing ritual to keep your teeth and braces in tip-top shape:
Start by rinsing your mouth with warm water to loosen and remove any particles that have been hanging around since your last meal. Use an interdental toothbrush, which allows you to brush between the wires and your teeth. As you did before you had braces, you should be cleaning the front and back of your teeth, as well as the chewing surface — a process that should take two to three minutes in total. Finish by brushing your tongue to remove any bacteria from there, too.
Your brushing routine should also include floss and mouthwash, both of which help whisk away any lingering debris that your brush didn’t find. And, because you should be cleaning your teeth after every meal, make sure to bring travel-sized hygiene products along with you so you can brush your braces whenever necessary.
2. Avoid Damaging Foods
If an improper brushing technique can break your braces, just imagine what the wrong food can do. In general, hard, crunchy foods are bad for your orthodontic installation. If they cause damage to your orthodontics, they can slow down your treatment and keep you in your wires for longer. In other words, it’s not worth the risk.
On the list of foods to avoid while you have braces, the number one offender is always popcorn. For one thing, biting down on a hard kernel can cause your orthodontics to pop right off. Even if you just get a piece of popcorn stuck between your teeth or in your wires, it will cause you discomfort that’s very difficult to rectify with floss or brushing, as you would before.
Other foods notorious for causing damage include hard candy, chicken wings, nuts, chips and on-the-bone ribs. Even chewing ice can be a danger because of how hard and crunchy it is, so avoid that habit as well.
3. Be Sensitive to Sensitive Teeth
Whether you’ve just had your braces put on or you’ve had them tightened for the umpteenth time, you know that your wires and brackets can cause you quite a bit of pain. When your mouth hurts, it’s up to you to treat it with care to hasten the healing process.
Start with gentle pain relief. Just pressing a warm washcloth or heating pad against the aching area will help dull the sensation you’re feeling. Over-the-counter pain relievers can lessen your discomfort, too. Adding a teaspoon of salt to a glass full of warm water and gargling is another quick way to relieve your pain.
Once again, choices you make in the kitchen can have an effect here, too. When your teeth and braces hurt, stick to soft foods that won’t require much jaw activity to eat. Oatmeal, eggs, soup, smoothies, pasta… whatever your favorite, easy-to-chew food is, eat it now.
4. Inspect Your Braces Regularly
If you’re going through the process of having braces, you would hate to discover weeks or months down the line that your treatment has been delayed due to a defective wire, bracket or another part of your straightening device. Your orthodontist can diagnose and fix problems, of course, but they won’t be there every day to check to make sure your braces are in working order — that’s where you come in.
As soon as you feel or see that a wire is broken, a bracket is loose or vice-versa, you need to call your orthodontist’s office immediately to set up an appointment. Your vigilance can ensure you get your braces off on the scheduled date.
In a similar vein, it’s also vital that you attend every single follow-up appointment. Your orthodontist can evaluate your treatment and make adjustments to anything that’s not working. These necessities may not be visible to the untrained eye, so make sure you give the experts a chance to see your progress and adapt accordingly.
Now, Smile
Some orthodontists include this bit of advice on their advice sheets: enjoy your teeth even while they’re under metallic hardware. If you take care of them throughout the process, you’re sure to be pleased with the way your teeth look and feel at the end of it. So, now and in the future, when you have braces-free teeth: smile! You have worked hard for those pearly whites, and soon they’ll be working for you.
