If you have crooked or crowded teeth, Dr. Shabbir Adenwalla may recommend braces in Middleburg Heights, Ohio. Getting braces requires dedication on your part. Caring for your teeth while wearing braces will take a little more time. However, the end results are well worth the effort.
Oral hygiene is a little more involved while wearing braces. Brush your teeth with a soft-bristled toothbrush using a gentle, circular motion. Brush down from the top of the teeth and then up from the bottom. Tilt your toothbrush 45 degrees to brush the tops and bottoms of your brackets. Take special care when brushing the teeth between the bracket and the gums, as this area is often missed. Then brush between your brackets using a proxabrush. Insert the brush between the arch wire and the teeth and brush with upward and downward strokes. Repeat until you have cleaned between all of your brackets.
To floss your teeth, work the short end of your floss through the space between the upper part of the tooth and the arch wire. Then use a sawing motion to gently work the floss between the teeth. Be very careful around the arch wires.
For those wearing braces, most foods can still be eaten as long as they are cut small so they can be easily chewed. However, some foods can damage braces and should be avoided, including:
– Hard foods that are difficult to bite
– Chewy foods
– Corn on the cob
– Popcorn, nuts, carrots, and hard pretzels
Do not chew ice or bubble gum with braces.
Cleaning your teeth may take a lot of time at first, but with practice, your oral hygiene routine will become easier. Our orthodontist may also recommend using a fluoride mouthwash to clean the areas your toothbrush can’t reach. For more information and to schedule your next visit, feel free to call the office of Shabbir Adenwalla, DMD, MS at 440-243-9575 today!
