Never Skip Your Regular Check-ups
Aside from meticulous personal oral hygiene, the best way to make sure your mouth stays clean and healthy, and no serious issues arise, is to attend your regular orthodontic check-ups. During these appointments, your orthodontist will make sure your smile adjustment is progressing as expected, brackets and rubber bands are fitted appropriately, and no unexpected issues are arising. You may also have your teeth brushed and flossed during your visit.
Invest in a Water Jet
A water jet – a small machine that jets pulsating water at high pressure – is a great way to get pesky particles and plaque out of hard-to-reach places. It can be especially fun for younger people who have braces and usually find it difficult to floss properly. In fact, people of all ages will enjoy using a water jet instead of flossing.
Close-up of a smiling woman face with braces cleaning her teeth with oral irrigator.
Never Use Whitening Products
Although you might be tempted to whiten your teeth while you are wearing braces, this can do more harm than good. The whitening product will only reach areas where there is no bracket to block the whitening action. Consequently, after the braces are removed, there will likely be discolored or yellow patches where the whitening product was unable to reach. It’s best to wait until after your braces are removed to invest in teeth whitening treatments.
Use a Proxabrush
A proxabrush, short for interproximal brushes, is a specialized tool that lets the user get in between the brackets and wires of traditional braces. The bristles are presented in a cone shape making them better at getting into hard-to-reach places during orthodontic treatment.
Use a Proxabrush to get in between the brackets and wires of your brushes.
Protect Against Grinding
Grinding your teeth is extremely damaging to your teeth, whether you are wearing braces or not, as it wears down the enamel. This, in turn can cause serious damage to teeth and even result in jaw pain or headaches. However, grinding your teeth when you have braces can cause another complete set of problems. If you find yourself grinding your teeth often after getting braces, ask your orthodontist to help devise a solution to the problem.
Take Ibuprofen for Pain
It’s no secret that braces can sometimes be painful, especially when you first have them put on or when having them tightened. While we will do everything we can to make your experience with braces as pain-free possible, some discomfort is sometimes unavoidable. Unless it is contraindicated for some reason, we will suggest taking Ibuprofen to relieve any pain you may experience.
For over 70 years, as we have provided dental braces in Chicago , we have worked directly to address each patient’s individual needs. Our goal is to offer the best experience possible while helping every patient achieve the beautiful smile of their dreams. We invite you to reach out to us with any questions you may have, or to book an appointment.
