5 Tips for Taking Good Care of Braces to Make Them Last Longer

Getting braces for yourself or your kids is a decision you will never regret. Braces help you regain your lost smile and confidence. With braces, dental problems like overlapping teeth, crooked teeth, and excessive tooth spacing can be easily solved. To fully enjoy the benefits of braces, it is important you learn how to take proper care of them.

Below are some helpful tips for caring and maintaining braces for a better experience:

1. Minimize discomfort and pain
   

   Naturally, your mouth would react when a new brace is placed in it. There are several ways to ease the pain and discomfort caused by new braces, and one of such ways is adding a little salt to warm water and then rinsing your mouth with it. Also, you can apply wax over the braces, as doing eliminates every form of irritation. It will take time for your mouth and lips to adjust to the new appliance, so exercise patience. For quick relieve from the pain caused by a newly installed brace, go get medications from an authorized pharmacist.

2. Maintain good oral hygiene

   Even while wearing braces, it is important you brush and floss your mouth as often as possible. The reason for this is that braces make the teeth and gums susceptible to dental problems like gum disease and cavities. Brushing your mouth frequently helps take away the bacteria contained in food particles that get trapped in-between the teeth and underneath the wires of the brace. If brushing regularly won’t be possible, pour water in your mouth and swish. Doing so will help flush out trapped food debris. Most importantly, seek the advice of an orthodontist as he or she is in the best position to the right flossing and brushing tools to care for your braces.

3. Watch what you eat

   Eating the wrong kind of food will damage your braces. For this reason, being mindful of what you eat will be of great help here especially when going through orthodontic treatment. By all means, avoid foods that are sticky, hard and crunchy. Some of these foods include chewing gums, popcorn, cob and caramel candies. If you are in the habit of biting your nails, cease from it especially when wearing braces. Nail biting or pen biting habits can elongate your treatment, and so must be avoided.

4. Ensure the braces are always protected

   Whenever you engage in sports activities that require physical contact, always ensure you wear a mouth guard as doing so protects your appliance. An accidental blow to your mouth during a football game, for instance, will damage your brace and inflict severe pain to your teeth and gum. If you need help with finding the best mouth guard to use, consult with an orthodontist. If they c5an’t find one for you, they will create a custom-made mouth guard for you.

5. Never neglect a damaged brace

   Braces when handled wrongly get damaged. Even if you are meticulous enough to avoid damage, the wires of your braces and come loose or the bands get snapped. Damaged braces if not taken care of can complicate orthodontic treatments. Whenever you sense a slight damage on yours, quickly consult with an orthodontist. Addressing damaged braces ensures uninterrupted dental treatment.

The success of your orthodontic treatment is dependent on a number of efforts put into the care of your braces. The tips shared here when followed will not only help keep your braces in excellent condition, it will also ensure your orthodontic treatment becomes a success.

About Author:

Dr. Andrew Hong is a qualified dentist and the principal owner of Clarinda Clinic in Clayton, Australia which has been providing dental care for the local Clayton community and surrounding suburbs for over 20 years. For a professional and friendly dental consultation, visit http://clarindaclinic.com/ and book a dental appointment. From children’s dentistry, root canal treatment to general dentistry, the team at Clarinda Clinic will address your oral concerns.

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