While you probably already know that good oral health is an important part of a confident smile, it is even more important while straightening your teeth. This means taking the time to practice good oral hygiene habits daily and keeping up with routine checkups and cleanings.
To keep tooth decay and gum disease away Quality Orthodontic Care encourages our patients in Johns Creek, Georgia, to always maintain strong oral habits. While wearing aligners, cleaning is as simple as brushing and flossing your pearly whites normally. However, while wearing wires and brackets you want to remove food particles and plaque to avoid damaging tooth enamel.
Today, Dr. John Fleming and our team want to share five tips to keep your teeth in top notch condition while aligning your smile. Let’s take a look:
1-Elastics: If you are wearing elastics, remove them before cleaning your teeth.
2-Tools: Choose a soft-bristled toothbrush. Hold your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle against your gums and gently clean the gum line using tiny circular strokes. Fluoride toothpaste is often recommended as it helps your teeth resist acids from food and drinks, as well as replacing minerals.
3-Brushing: You will want to brush each tooth along with your braces. Thoroughly clean the gaps between the wire and teeth, as well as under the wires. A powered toothbrush is very effective at cleaning with braces. It easily cleans the inside and outside surface areas of each tooth, using circular strokes as you go.
4-Flossing: Flossing is crucial to your smile health! Water flossers, also known as oral irrigators, are a great way to thoroughly floss your chompers. Next, after your teeth are cleaned, be sure to replace your elastic and you are good to go.
5-Health: There are certain foods and drinks you should limit or avoid completely to protect your oral health. Avoiding acidic foods and beverages, hard foods, and sticky foods that can harm your brackets and wires are even more important while straightening your pearly whites. This means no gum or chewing on ice.
While caring for teeth and gums is always a priority for a healthy smile, it is especially crucial while aligning your smile. If you have any questions or concerns for Dr. John Fleming in Johns Creek, Georgia, we invite you to give us a call at 770-609-3270 today!