subject: Upper East Side Braces - How to Protect Your Healthy Smile while Wearing Braces [print this page] Upper East Side Braces - How to Protect Your Healthy Smile while Wearing Braces
The foremost point is to take care of your teeth and gums.While wearing your braces, it is essential that you take care of your teeth and gums.
More care needed during orthodontics:
If you look in the mirror at your new braces you can see that the brackets and wires have many nooks and crannies that can trap the food and plaques. Thus your risk of tooth decay and gum problems may be quite higher when you are wearing braces.
You need to pay a special attention in cleaning your teeth daily after your diet. A Permanent damage to the tooth enamel can occur if the teeth and brackets are not kept clean. Some areas on the enamel surface of the tooth may begin to lose minerals and may leave unsightly white spots. You may also develop inflamed, bleeding gums.Thus care should be taken to maintain the entire mouth clean.
Tooth-friendly diet:
Dental professionals are always concerned about the acidic foods and drinks which damages the tooth enamel when consumed frequently or when sipped over extended periods of time. Most of us are not aware, that some of the sugary foods and drinks can lead to tooth decay. Then Starchy foods like potato chips can also stick to the teeth for long periods of time and leads to tooth decay.
You have to use saliva manytimes a day, to wash away the acids that form each time after we eat and drink. A very good rule used to reduce the acid content is to limit the food habits each day into 3 meals and 2 snack times. Then you have to drink plenty of water as much as you can.
Braces-friendly diet & habits :
Generally avoid hard foods such as nuts,hard cookies etc because it can loosen, break or bend wires and bands of your braces. Before eating, foods such as apples and carrots should be chopped into small pieces which reduces the stress on your braces. Then Avoid sticky foods such as caramels, toffees and fruit bars. Bad habits like nail biting, unnatural tongue thrusting, pencil chewing and nervous picking can also break the braces. Be aware of the these and make an effort to stop them.
Care at home:
When cleaning your mouth with your braces, you need to pay special attention not only to your teeth and gums, but also to the brackets and wires. Then remove the elastics before brushing, Use a fluoride toothpaste and a soft, compact toothbrush, and place your brush at an angle of 45 degrees against the gums when you brush.
