- Brush your teeth at least twice a day! It is essential to keep up with your oral hygiene and care for your teeth even more than you did before your braces as the brackets can trap loads of food and plaque. Plaque left on the teeth puts you at risk of tooth decay. In the early stages of tooth decay, areas on the enamel surface lose minerals, which can lead to permanent white spots. You will need to pay special attention to your teeth to be sure they are staying healthy. You should brush all surfaces of your teeth and braces in a circular motion for 2 minutes at least twice per day. There is nothing more depressing than finding unattractive white spots all over the teeth when you’ve been anxiously awaiting the removal of your braces and unveiling your perfect smile.
- Use special orthodontic tools to help clean your teeth. Besides brushing twice a day, it is also important to floss your teeth too. This will insure that you are removing all plaque. It can be tricky at first, but as you make it a habit, it will become easier. There are all kinds of tools out there to make flossing easier while wearing braces. Our favorites include the waterpik and the platypus flossers and we recommend you choose the one that best suits your needs. You can ask your orthodontist about these tools too. The waterpik/waterflosser machines use a stream of water to get between teeth and underneath your braces without the need to thread floss around the wires and braces.
- Avoid sticky/hard/tough foods. In general, you should avoid all foods that are sticky, hard, or chewy. These can damage or physically break your braces off of your teeth. Sticky candy, hard candy, ice, and gum are probably the worst offenders and they will break your braces and delay your treatment progress. Also, avoid chewing hard to bite through food with your front teeth. Some other foods to avoid include things like popcorn and sunflower seeds in the shell that have small, difficult to remove pieces that can become stuck in the gum tissues and cause infections.
- Wear your rubber bands. Many orthodontic patients have advanced along in their treatment plan to the bite correction stage of treatment where the orthodontist prescribes custom rubber bands to help make the upper and lower jaws fit together properly. They only work well for patients that wear them consistently and improper or inadequate wear is the number one thing that delays the timely removal of braces and the finishing of treatment.
- Keep your orthodontic appointments and follow all the instructions your orthodontist gives you. Your orthodontist is the expert when it comes to your treatment. Our orthodontists are here to give you the beautiful, healthy smile you are trying to achieve. You will need to see your orthodontist approximately once a month while you are wearing your braces. If you have to miss an appointment, don’t wait too long to reschedule as our schedules can fill up quickly for the most desirable appointment times.
Please always remember that our orthodontic team is here to help you achieve the smile you want in the shortest amount of time possible. Our team is composed of compassionate and extremely experienced chairside and front desk staff that will help make sure you receive the most value out of your treatment. Our goal is to exceed every expectation you might have about the experience of orthodontic treatment.
About Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontic Specialists of Michigan, the offices of Drs. Delaney, Plunkett, Ralstrom, Makowski, Thanasas, Ker, and Associates
Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontic Specialists of Michigan have specialized in pediatric dentistry and orthodontics since 1968. Our family-friendly office gives patients and families a more comfortable and consistent experience with dentistry from the very beginning. The pediatric dentists treat children from newborn to 18 years of age while our orthodontists provide care for both children and adults, including being an Invisalign preferred provider. The ability to treat all special needs patients reaches beyond our facility, which has treatment rooms available for children who require additional privacy. Valued hospital affiliations allow dental services to be performed at DMC Children’s Hospital and St. John’s Hospital Macomb when needed. Our specialists are also on staff at Henry Ford and Beaumont hospitals.
