Everything You Should Know About Caring for Your Braces

If you have braces, it means you’re committed to having a strong, healthy smile. They require that you invest both time and money, as well as your comfort — so, we want to help you help your braces.

Here, our team of experts at Supertooth™ shares some strategies for caring for your braces so you can get the most out of your treatment. 

The basics of braces

Braces are dental appliances that involve using wires to correct common smile problems. As you wear them, the wires gradually straighten and realign your teeth. Typically, people get braces during their teenage years, but adults can also benefit from braces. We often recommend this type of treatment for the following issues:

• Overcrowded teeth
• Crooked teeth
• Spacing issues
• Overbite and overjet
• Underbite
• Other jaw misalignment issues

On average, braces are worn for 12 months, but treatment duration varies based on your specific needs. Regardless of how long you need to wear braces, you can maximize their effort by keeping up regular maintenance — here’s how. 

Keep up your dental hygiene routine

When you have braces, bacteria, plaque, and other harmful substances have countless places to hide. That’s why it’s crucial to keep up (or reboot) your regular dental hygiene routine. This means brushing both your teeth and your braces, being sure that you’ve removed all debris. 

It may be a bit trickier now, but you should still floss daily. We can help you with your flossing technique and can point you toward products that make flossing with braces a breeze.

You may also invest in an oral irrigator (water pick) that ensures you’ve gotten rid of all leftover food particles. 

Find braces-friendly products

You probably didn’t think much about your oral hygiene products before you had braces. But now, it’s important to examine the labels before you buy. Some mouthwashes, toothpaste, and flosses contain harmful ingredients that damage your braces.

For example, some mouthwashes with bright dyes can discolor your braces. Don’t know where to start? Talk to us about our recommendations for oral hygiene products.

Be careful about what you eat

Adjusting eating habits is one of the hardest things about life with braces. To avoid damage, avoid these foods:

• Popcorn
• Nuts
• Ice
• Chewing gum
• Hard candy
• Chewy candy
• Pizza crust
• Bagels and other hard rolls
• Crunchy vegetables and fruits
• Hard crackers
• Pretzels
• Chips

It’s also a good idea to steer clear of sugary foods and drinks because the combination of sugar and salvia can lead to an excessive amount of plaque. 

Visit us regularly

Nothing can take the place of the care and expertise we offer in our office. We encourage you to see us for regular professional cleanings, as well as orthodontic check-ups so we can monitor your progress. We also step in when the worst happens and your braces break or become loose. 

Don’t go through your journey with braces alone. Request an appointment online or over the phone to get more information about braces or to schedule an evaluation. We have four conveniently located Maryland offices.