If you’re just beginning your orthodontic treatment journey, then you should be excited for starting a process that’ll provide you with a beautiful smile that’ll last the rest of your life!
The good news about braces is that they’re pretty low maintenance, but there still are plenty of care tips that braces patients need to keep in mind in order to ensure efficient, optimal treatment results. We’ve partnered up with the orthodontic specialists at James Karpac Orthodontics to provide this list of helpful tips for taking good care of your braces, and you can learn more about this renowned practice by checking out the following link: https://www.jameskarpacortho.com/
Below are some great tips directly from orthodontists when it comes to taking care of your braces!
Understanding What To Initially Expect
It’s important for braces patients to understand that it’s perfectly normal to feel a little sore during the first few days of treatment. This means that you might experience gum, cheek or lip irritation as you’re getting used to your new braces.
The good news is that there are plenty of tricks to alleviate this soreness, including saltwater rinses and pain relievers to reduce your overall discomfort and pain. You also shouldn’t be alarmed if your teeth feel somewhat loose, because this is one of the initial steps that allow your braces to begin shifting your teeth into their correct place.
Quitting Bad Habits
It’s important for braces patients to cut out any bad habits that they had prior to their treatment process. This can include things like chewing on ice cubes or pen caps, biting fingernails, using your teeth as tools, and a lot more that can potentially damage your wires and brackets.
No one wants to experience an orthodontic emergency, so cutting out these habits is a huge step toward creating a healthy, sustainable treatment journey.
Brushing More Frequently
Most people are used to brushing in the morning and before bed, but braces patients actually have to be more vigilant about brushing their teeth more frequently on a daily basis. This means brushing after each meal and snack, including lunch.
You should also make sure that you’re brushing for at least three minutes in order to thoroughly clean all of the hard-to-reach areas around your brackets and wires.
Flossing
Flossing is also a little different when you’re wearing braces, but it’s even more important to maintain during your treatment journey. A lot of braces patients will use floss threaders and interdental brushes to make flossing easier and more efficient, and it’s important to remember that you should be flossing after every meal during your treatment.
You can also consider using a water flosser while wearing braces, which is an easy and convenient way to clean in between your teeth, brackets and wires!
Eating Braces-Friendly Foods
When you first start your braces treatment, you might want to stick to softer foods that are good for your initial discomfort.
But as your mouth heals and you become accustomed to your braces, you’ll want to get back to eating more normal, braces-friendly foods. This means that you must avoid any foods that’ll potentially damage your braces or get stuck within your wires or brackets. Some of these wrong foods include:
- Sticky foods like gum, caramels and Fruit Roll-Ups
- Chewy foods like beef jerky, bagels and granola bars
- Crunchy foods like chips, popcorn and nuts
- Tough foods to bite like apples, corn on the cob and carrots
Wearing a Mouthguard
Mouthguards are crucial for every braces patient that plays sports or partakes in other physical activities.
What’s great is that orthodontists can now develop customized mouthguards specifically for braces patients, which makes them very comfortable for all athletic activities.
Use Your Rubber Bands Appropriately
Rubber bands are often incredibly important for braces patients, because wearing these tiny elastics on a daily basis goes a long way toward correcting your jaw alignment and other malocclusions.
This is why braces patients need to wear their rubbers bands as their orthodontist instructs them to do so. Many braces patients have to wear rubber bands throughout the course of each day, but others only need to wear them at night.
Knowing When To Call Your Orthodontist
Issues sometimes happen during braces treatment, and it’s important to know when your discomfort requires professional attention. Be sure to reach out to your orthodontist if you’re experiencing any of the following issues:
- Loose bands and wires
- Severe pain
- Damage to braces
- Out of wax or rubber bands
- Broken elastic hook
Reach Out To James Karpac Orthodontics To Learn More Tips For Braces Patients!
Braces are always a rollercoaster ride in terms of everything patients need to go through to reach their treatment finish line, but it’s important to remember that it’s always worth it when you see your new, beautiful smile.
You can learn more tips for taking care of your braces by speaking directly with the experts at James Karpac Orthodontics by going through the link located at the top of this page!
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