10 Tips to Care for Your Teeth With Braces

by | Nov 14, 2014

Care For Your Teeth With Braces

Do you know how to care for your teeth with braces? Whether you just got your new set of braces or you’ve had them for years, it can be difficult to keep up with taking care of them. Having braces makes life more difficult than most people might assume, especially right after you first get them.

Thankfully, it’s really not hard to properly care for your teeth with braces. In fact, you just have to remember to do things differently than you would have done before you got your braces. However, there are shortcuts. Tips. Tricks. Follow the simple rules below and you’ll be able to care for your teeth with braces without issue!

Follow these Quick Tips to Care for Your Teeth With Braces

Quick Tip Number One – Keep Your Confidence

Before you get your braces, you might talk yourself into thinking that it’s going to be a horrible experience, but it’s honestly not as bad as you might think. There are a lot of other people that have braces too; people of all ages. As long as you’re confident, nobody will even know that you’ve got braces. All they’ll be able to see is your smile.

Quick Tip Number Two – Remember That Braces Are A Change

You also have to remember that your mouth isn’t going to feel the same after you get your braces. The first night is going to be the worst. It’s best to try to sleep on your back so that your braces don’t pull, because that could hurt. Just remind yourself that you’ll feel normal again after two or three days. Worst case scenario is you take a painkiller.

Quick Tip Number Three – Consistent Brushing And Flossing

Reminding yourself to do something that you’ve been taught to do since you were a child might sound redundant, but it’s one of the most important tips that anyone can give you. Having braces in your mouth gives plaque new places to hide, so you want to be sure that you brush and floss at least twice a day. You can even ask for chewable tablets from your dentist that will show you where you have the biggest plaque build-ups. Taking care of your teeth becomes a full-time responsibility once you get braces.

Quick Tip Number Four – Thorough Brushing And Flossing

When you brush your teeth, you want to keep doing it for at least two full minutes to be sure that you’ve done a good job. Don’t forget to brush underneath the wires too. When you floss, you have to pull the dental floss string down underneath the wires that are located in between your brackets. Be sure to floss every single tooth, even the ones all the way in the back. Your dentist will give you a wire brush that you can use to clean in between the brackets and underneath your wires to get any plaque that is still desperately clinging to your teeth.

When you’re done, rinse your mouth with mouthwash. It’s best if you get a mouthwash that says that it removes plaque on the bottle because plaque build-up is a common problem for those with braces. This might sound like a lot of detail for just the basic process of keeping your mouth clean on a daily basis, but it is very important for those with braces. The plaque has more places to hide when you’ve got braces, and preventing cavities is more difficult as well.

Quick Tip Number Five – How to Handle Eating And Food

When you first get your braces, it’s best if you stick to eating foods that you don’t have to chew very much. Mashed potatoes, applesauce, milkshakes, and soup are all good ideas. Once you’re ready to tackle harder foods, be careful. It’s easy for hard foods like apples and raw carrots to get stuck in hard-to-reach places or break parts of your braces.

One of the worst parts of daily life with braces is the fact that food gets stuck in them so often and there are some really difficult-to-reach places once you’ve got braces obstructing your reach. Don’t eat hard candies, and cut them up first if you eat hard fruit or vegetables. Stay away from ice, hard taco shells, chips, and bagels unless they’ve been cut into bite-sized pieces. Don’t eat chewy food either, like Tootsie Rolls or Bazooka Joe bubble gum. Sugar-free gum is okay though.

Quick Tip Number Six – Avoid Known Cavity Causers

One of the most difficult parts of life with braces is the fact that your teeth are so much more difficult to clean; which means that tooth decay and cavities are more of a threat. That means food that is known to cause cavities should be considered treats because the damage that consistently eating them could cause isn’t worth it.

Avoid sugary food like candy, cake, soda, and pie because they aren’t good for your dental hygiene. If you do eat something sugary, brush your teeth afterward. There are toothpastes on the market that neutralize sugar. You can ask your dentist if you can use any of them with your braces.

Quick Tip Number Seven – Look Into Colored Rubber Bands

One way that you can boost your confidence levels is to look into getting colored rubber bands to personalize your braces. You can wear almost any color or color combination. You can get new colors every time you see the dentist, or stick to one color pattern as your own personal signature look.

Quick Tip Number Eight – Don’t Forget To Take Care Of Your Lips

Getting braces change the landscape of your mouth, which can throw it off balance. One way that can happen is through chapped lips, so always make sure that you have lip balm on hand. Stop your lips from getting dry or chapped by applying it consistently throughout the entire time that you have your braces. When you go to get your braces put on, put lip balm on right before the dentist sees you. You’ll have to have your mouth open for so long that your lips are likely to get chapped if you don’t prepare for it.

Quick Tip Number Nine – Listen To Your Dentist About Your Headgear

You’re probably not going to enjoy the idea of wearing headgear, but if your dentist suggests it, then you can benefit from it. It might make you feel unattractive, but you’ll be glad that you went through it when you see the end result of your time.

Quick Tip Number Ten – Don’t Use Whitening Products

When you’ve got braces, it’s best to avoid whitening products completely. This includes whitening mouthwashes and toothpaste. If you really want to whiten your teeth, remember that you can use whitening strips after you’ve had your braces off. There might be a variation in the color of your teeth anyway.

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Convenient Dentist Offices in Southern California

Doctor Sam Shahovesi and the team at City Dental Centers are here to provide our patients with the best dental services and dental surgeries for children and adults of all ages. From toddlers to seniors, City Dental Centers offers six convenient dentist offices in Southern California. We also have a dedicated children’s dentist office, City Dental Kids & Braces, to cater to the special physical and emotional needs of children.

Whether you need checkups, x-rays, braces, bonding, teeth whitening, sealants, oral cancer screenings, root canals, crowns, bridges, implants, or tooth extraction, City Dental Centers is here to make the process as easy and comfortable as possible.

Contact The Nearest Dentist to You

Ready to experience the best dentists in Los Angeles? Choose one of the convenient dental offices we have surrounding LA. We have dental practices in AzusaCoronaLake ForestMontclairPico Rivera, and West Covina. You can call our main line at (888) 624-8933 or reach out to an office directly with the information below. We’re so happy you’ve chosen City Dental Centers. We can’t wait to help you along your dental journey and brighten your beautiful smile!

Dentist in Azusa, CA

Location: 483 S. Citrus Ave. Azusa, CA 91702
Phone: (626) 966-3400

Dentist in Corona, CA

Location: 161 McKinley St. STE 102, Corona, CA 92879
Phone: (951) 737-3746

Dentist in Lake Forest, CA

Location: 24602 Raymond Way #210, Lake Forest, CA 92630
Phone: (949) 461-5800

Dentist in Montclair, CA

Location: 5182 Moreno St, Montclair, CA 91763
Phone: (909) 295-3477

Dentist in Pico Rivera, CA

Location: 9400 Whittier Blvd, Pico Rivera, CA 90660
Phone: (562) 949-2526

Dentist in West Covina, CA

Location: 154 Plaza Dr, West Covina, CA 91790
Phone: (626) 962-1722