Getting your dental braces is the first among many steps toward achieving a healthy smile. To get the best results in your orthodontic journey, dental braces aftercare is very important.
Knowing the dos and don’ts after getting your dental braces will help you adjust quickly, keep your teeth and braces in good condition and have a smooth ride in your dental journey.
In this article are dos and don’ts to observe after getting your dental braces.
1. Keep Your Nutrition in Mind
After getting your dental braces, you need to pay attention to your nutrition. You should inculcate brace-friendly meals into your diet. You can start with soft food and as time goes on then you can eat your usual food choices.
It is important however to know that items such as tough proteins, sticky sweets, candy, crunchy food, raw vegetables like carrots, fruits such as apples can damage your braces and so they should be off limits or you find alternative ways of taking them.
READ ALSO: Dental Braces: What You Need To Know Before Getting Them
2. Brush After Each Meal
Brushing after each meal you take helps keep food particles from building up in your teeth. Not doing this can cause plaque buildup in your teeth.
If brushing after each meal seems unrealistic because of the unavailability of a brush at a certain time of the day, you should at least try to rinse your mouth with water or a mouthwash after a meal or brush your teeth at least three times a day.
Even as you brush your teeth, ensure you pay proper attention to the areas around your braces in order to prevent swollen gums and tooth decay.
3. Floss Daily
Flossing is an important oral hygiene habit. It cleans and dislodges food stuck between your teeth, which reduces the amount of bacteria and plaque in your mouth.
To care for your braces, you need to include flossing because it is essential to having healthy teeth. Flossing helps reach places the toothbrush may have missed and makes it easier to remove food stuck between your braces.
4. Don’t Skip Your Dental and Orthodontic Appointments
Attending regular dental and orthodontic checkups is an important aftercare practice. Showing up for your appointments helps your orthodontist inspect, tighten and adjust your braces as needed.
These appointments also ensure that you are on track with your progress, that your braces are doing their job and it’s a great time to address any problems you may be having with your braces.
5. Avoid Taking Soda/Carbonated Drinks
To adequately care for your braces, you should avoid soda/carbonated drinks, juices and energy drinks as they are high in sugars and acid which will promote demineralisation and tooth decay when proper oral hygiene is deficient.
You can drink them only occasionally and brush afterwards if you can.
6. Don’t Self-Adjust Your Braces
There is often the temptation to self adjust your braces, especially if you have been using them for a long while. However, this is wrong. If you notice that any of your brackets has loosen or the end of the wire is poking onto your cheeks, do not adjust the braces yourself or cut the wire.
Be sure to make an appointment to get them fixed as soon as possible.
7. Report Breakages
Even if you are careful with your braces, they may occasionally break or become loose. If this happens, it’s important to make an appointment to get them fixed as soon as you can, so your treatment stays on track.
8. Don’t Bite Foreign Objects
When you are on dental braces, you should avoid biting into foreign objects such as your nails, pen, etc.
Biting your nails or chewing your pen can damage your braces and your teeth.
In ensuring an effective dental braces aftercare, it is important to stick to the dos and don’ts above as this will help protect your braces and set you up for a healthier smile.
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