You are probably already aware that good oral health is a critical part of a confident smile. This means taking the time to practice good oral hygiene habits every single day and keeping up with routine checkups and cleanings. Your goal is to keep tooth decay and gum disease away. So you can imagine that your oral health is even more crucial while aligning your smile.
Quality Orthodontic Care encourages our patients in Alpharetta, Georgia, to always maintain good oral habits. While wearing aligners, cleaning is as simple as brushing and flossing your pearly whites normally. But with wires and brackets, you want to make sure to keep food particles and plaque away to avoid damage to your tooth enamel.
Today, Dr. John Fleming and our team are pleased to share just a few tips for keeping your teeth in top notch condition while aligning your smile. Let’s take a look!
Elastics: If you are wearing elastics, remove them before you begin cleaning your teeth.
Tools: Begin by brushing with 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.
Brush: 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. Clean the inside and outside surface areas of each tooth, using circular strokes as you go. With the molars, you can brush back and forth.
Floss: Flossing is key to your smile health. Along with interdental brushes and picks, oral irrigators are an effective tool for thoroughly flossing your chompers. After cleaning your teeth, replace your elastic.
Health: Avoiding acidic foods and beverages that can harm your teeth, and hard foods or sticky foods that can harm your brackets and wires are important while straightening teeth. 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 Alpharetta, Georgia, please give us a call at 770-901-2433 today!