If you’re anybody who is undergoing treatment with metal braces to get your teeth aligned in a proper position, there are many precautions and practices you should follow to achieve the best outcomes.
It’s also critical to establish good dental hygiene practices in addition to eating a balanced diet. You can damage your metal braces if you don’t take adequate care of your teeth, which will cause your orthodontic treatment plan to be disrupted. Here are some pointers on how to properly care for your metal braces:
Food Habits
While metal braces are attached to your teeth, gums, and alveolar bones require nutrition. For toddlers and teenagers who are rapidly growing, eating the greatest foods is very crucial. However, certain foods and beverages should be avoided in order to protect your braces’ wires and brackets. Following the placement of your metal braces, your orthodontist will give you a list of foods to avoid, including:
A. Chewy sticky foods: Chewing gum, liquorice, caramel candies, peanut butter
B. Crunchy foods: Ice, chips, popcorn, flaxseeds
C. Hard foods: nuts, candy, tough meat, pork chops
D. Foods to be bitten: corn cob, apples, carrots, guava, pears etc.
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You must eat soft meals that will not irritate your gums, tongue, or palate once your braces have been installed. Your mouth will adjust to the metal braces within a few days, and you can resume eating the way your orthodontist recommends.
Brushing
While brushing your teeth properly to maintain your dental hygiene can be more of a tricky task with braces, it is more vital than ever to keep your teeth clean at this time. Food particles can quickly become stuck between your teeth, wires, and brackets. These particles sustain the dangerous germs in your mouth if they are not eliminated soon.
As a result, these bacteria produce acids, which eat away at your teeth enamel and gums, causing tooth decay, discolouration, gingivitis, and other issues.
Floss daily
When you have braces, flossing is really important. Food particles and bacteria will be removed from the nooks and crannies of your teeth during this crucial stage in your dental care treatment. This should get rid of any particles that a toothbrush didn’t get rid of. Otherwise, these food particles hidden between your teeth can cause future complications with many mouth diseases.
Use Guards for Sports
Playing sports is something you should never avoid doing while having braces. If you do, though, you must wear a mouthguard. Your orthodontist will create a custom mouthguard for you so you can continue to participate in the sports you like. One thing to keep in mind is that if you’re playing a sport with a high risk of being hit in the face, you might want to consider switching positions, wearing a helmet, or taking a break to lessen your risk.
Mouth Wash
If you want fresh breath, mouthwash is a good idea, but make sure it doesn’t contain bright red or green dyes, as they can stain the metal materials or the removable elastics of your braces. To keep your metal braces in optimal condition, make sure to follow your orthodontist’s instructions for what products to buy.
Don’t Chew on Hard Stuff
While many people undergoing orthodontic treatment are aware of the importance of avoiding certain meals, they frequently overlook the importance of avoiding anxious habits such as chewing on pencils or biting their nails. While we understand that chewing on hard, inedible objects is sometimes done unintentionally, it is critical to avoid doing so in order to preserve your brackets and wires in good condition.
Don’t Miss Dental Appointments
As a part of teeth alignment treatment, it is important to make regular dental visits. During these appointments, the orthodontist will adjust your wires to help your teeth move and align properly. This will also offer the opportunity to make sure you don’t have any cavities or gingivitis. The regular checkups by your orthodontist help them keep a track of the progress pattern.
No matter how long your dental treatment with metal braces goes on and, the outcomes will be better if you follow all of your dental professional’s instructions and suggestions.
If you have any more questions or concerns regarding metal braces, you should speak with your dentist about them and alternative orthodontic choices.
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