- TYPES OF BRACES
- BRUSHING AND FLOSSING
- RETAINER CARE
- COMMONLY USED ITEMS
- SORENESS CAUSED FROM BRACES AND APPLIANCES
Taking Care Of Your Braces!
Most patients have questions, concerns, and slight hiccups during their orthodontic treatment. Braces care doesn’t need to be confusing! Your Naperville Orthodontists have compiled guides to braces care and orthodontic issues that may come up, as well as a Patient Glossary defining any terms you may like to know more about. Can’t find an answer to your question on these pages? Call Thomas Orthodontics and speak to one of our staff members – your comfort is your Naperville orthodontists’ first priority.
How To Eat With Braces
One of the most common frustrations with braces is the effect they have on food choice. Try not to think of braces as a diet limiter: in many ways, they help you maintain healthy teeth, as the majority of unsafe foods are sticky candies and crunchy junk foods. Almost everything else is safe if prepared properly and eaten the right way. The major rules are:
- Nothing sticky – Avoid anything with the consistency of gum, taffy, caramel, or gummy candies
- Nothing hard – Don’t eat ice, snack foods like large pretzels and popcorn, whole hard vegetables or fruit (carrots or apples), and inedible objects you may have a habit of chewing on (think pencils or fingernails)
- Nothing highly acidic – Acidic foods/liquids have the potential to stain your teeth and damage enamel, and those acids are more difficult to remove during braces. Avoid soft drinks and citrus juices.
- Nothing high in sugar – This has to do with the simple fact that sugary foods create bacteria, which is hard to eliminate from all braces’ nooks and crannies. If eating candy, brush and floss immediately afterwards.
- Don’t bite into anything with your front teeth. Crusty bread, bagels, apples, pizza, and even softer foods will pull brackets and wires off your teeth if you bite right into them. The solution is simple: cut up anything hard that you’d like to eat into small pieces. It takes just a minute and saves you money and an emergency orthodontic visit.
If you keep these basic rules in your mind, you don’t need to spend time fretting over everything you put in your mouth. Just avoid sticky, hard, acidic, and sugary foods, and cut your food into bites. Not only will your treatment will speed by, you will be so happy to have decay- and stain-free teeth post braces that your temporary change in diet will be completely worth it.
Naperville Braces Care – Cleaning
You should consider your brackets and wires as extensions of your teeth. Clean them the way you clean your other teeth – with a few extra precautions. Use fluoride toothpaste to strengthen and protect enamel. Take care to brush gently around the different surfaces of your braces to avoid jostling anything loose and make sure you target all oral bacteria. When brushing brackets, angle your brush towards the brackets, from both above and below the brackets. Take your time and brush from every possible direction of approach.
Flossing is always important, but crucial during orthodontic treatment. If you’re struggling to reach behind wires and between bands, look into a tooth floss holder. Ask your Naperville Orthodontist for a product recommendation, or search for “flosser for braces” online.
Excellent oral care is so important during orthodontic treatment because braces act as bacteria and plaque traps. If a patient practices inadequate dental hygiene while wearing braces, that patient could experience decalcification (white spots on enamel), gingivitis (irritated gums), and periodontitis (gum disease). Eliminating plaque during treatment eliminates all these undesirable effects. Brush and floss after meals to ensure that the only after-effect of your braces is perfectly straight teeth!
Braces Pain Management
During your orthodontic treatment, your braces are moving to new positions in your mouth. There will be a natural amount of associated discomfort. After your receive your braces, and then after each monthly appointment, your mouth will be tender for a few days. Your Naperville Orthodontists recommend taking over-the-counter pain medication like aspirin or Tylenol to relieve soreness. Eat soft foods that require minimal chewing, like Jell-o, yogurt, mashed potatoes, or pasta.
If you experience gum, cheek, lip, or tongue irritation while getting accustomed to your braces, try using a medicated mouthwash to both kill bacteria and soothe tissues (like Listerine or Pro Health). You can also try using a warm saltwater mouth rinse (1 tsp. salt per 8 oz. water). A topical anesthetic (Orajel, Orabase) can be applied directly to the sore to numb the area temporarily. Above all, don’t worry: the pain will last only a few days! Your perfect post-braces smile will be more than worth it.
Poking Wires or Brackets
If you experience localized oral discomfort during your orthodontic treatment, chances are good that you have a poking wire or bracket. Use a mirror or recruit a family member to look inside your mouth at the effected area. Poking wires generally occur at the back of your mouth, next to the final bracket on the neighboring row of teeth. If you are comfortable, try pushing the wire back towards your tooth with the end of a tooth eraser. Schedule an appointment with your Naperville Orthodontist to have the area examined.
Whenever you experience discomfort with any part of your braces, mold a small ball of orthodontic wax over the offending area while you wait for your appointment with your orthodontist. The wax will protect your skin and cushion the problematic wire. Wax is available at Thomas Orthodontics or at your dentist’s office, and you need not wait until your next appointment to get some – simply stop by and the front desk will supply you.
Orthodontic Emergency Instructions
When you have an orthodontic emergency, your Naperville orthodontists will be available. If the emergency occurs outside of office hours, Thomas Orthodontics’ answering service will get you through to Dr. Thomas. If you are experiencing an orthodontics emergency – such as significant physical damage to your teeth or braces, or any kind of intense pain – call our office number and we will provide orthodontic care.
