Caring For Your Braces
Tips For Taking Care Of Your Orthodontic Appliances
Exceptional care for your teeth during your orthodontic treatment is essential. Brushing regularly and properly will ensure your teeth and gums stay healthy and yield the best smile possible at the end of your orthodontic treatment. Dr. Zeifman and your family dentist—your treatment teammates—are relying on you to do your part!
When To Clean Your Braces
Good oral hygiene is essential during your orthodontic treatment to prevent gum disease, tooth decay and other dental issues. Having a healthy mouth helps make orthodontic treatment more efficient, as healthy teeth and gums tend to move easier. To all Zeifman Orthodontics patients, we recommend the following:
Brushing and flossing properly will reduce the amount of plaque—a sticky colorless film—that commonly collects on teeth. Plaque is a destructive combination of food, bacteria, and saliva and, if trapped or not removed, leads to tartar, which will cause cavities, gum disease, bad breath and teeth stains. At Zeifman Orthodontics, to reduce the negative effects of plaque, we provide instruction to help ensure proper brushing and flossing for all of our patients wearing braces.
How To Properly Brush Your Teeth With Braces
Regularly brushing teeth well with braces is vital, and it is imperative that patients pay close attention to targeting the cracks and crevices not only between teeth, but also around brackets and wires. Follow these steps for proper brushing:
Eating With Braces
Another way to ensure you are properly caring for your braces is to be mindful of your diet during orthodontic treatment. Failure to do so may result in damage to your appliances, which can slow down your overall treatment time. There is a long list of foods you will still be able to enjoy and just a short list we recommend avoiding during your treatment.
Enjoy the following foods:
Avoid the following foods:
Protecting Your Braces While Playing Sports
In addition to maintaining excellent oral hygiene and being mindful of your diet, it is important to protect your teeth and appliances while playing sports. The best way to ensure you are caring for your braces and protecting your smile is to wear a mouthguard when participating in sports. For best results, choose a mouthguard that you can customize to your smile for a better fit. If you have any questions about mouthguards or are looking for recommendations, contact our office.
Total Smile Care
For The Whole Family
At Zeifman Orthodontics, we believe that people of all ages deserve the best and most comprehensive orthodontic care. We are dedicated to helping each patient achieve their dream smile in a way that fits their budget and lifestyle.