Braces are known to attract food and plaque, which can stain teeth if not properly taken care of. Most holistic dentists would recommend their patients brush after every meal using a toothpaste with fluoride and carefully eliminating any traces of food that may have gotten stuck in the braces.
Furthermore, they may recommend that you try out a fluoride mouthwash, which can get into places in the mouth where a toothbrush can’t reach.
Flossing and Brushing Tips for People with Braces
When opting to floss teeth with braces, feed the floss’s short end through the space found between the main arch wire and the upper portion of the tooth located closest to the gum. Then, use a gentle sawing motion to work the floss on every side of the two teeth where the floss is placed.
Just be careful not to pull the floss with too much force around the arch wire.
You can then begin brushing your teeth by using a regular soft toothbrush. Brush down from the top and then up from the bottom on every tooth with braces. Afterward, brush your teeth with a proxabrush, sometimes referred to as the “Christmas tree” brush. This type of brush is specially manufactured for cleaning between two braces.
Insert the brush down from the top and then up from the bottom between two braces. Use a few strokes in every direction before moving on to the next space in between. Repeat the process until every tooth is tidy.
What Not To Eat While Wearing Braces
While you’re wearing braces, most foods can still be eaten provided that you cut them into small pieces in which you can easily chew them. However, there are a couple of foods that you should avoid eating, these are:
- Hard to bite foods such as apples
- Chewy foods like caramel
- Corn
- Hard pretzels, popcorn, nuts and carrots
In addition to all that, also refrain from chewing ice or bubble gum.
What to Do if a Bracket or Wire Breaks
Broken braces, loose bands or protruding wires can cause a lot of problems; however, they rarely require any emergency treatment. However, make it a habit to call your holistic dentist to set up an office visit to help provide a solution to the problem.
Here are some tips to help get through some of the more common problems until you visit your dentist:
- Loose Brackets: Apply a small piece of orthodontic wax to reattach loose brackets temporarily or place wax over the bracket to help provide a cushion between the bracket and your gums and other soft tissues inside your mouth. Plus, your dentist gives you this wax the first time you get your braces.
- Protruding or Broken Wires: You can use a eraser end of a pencil to move the wire to a less bothersome position. If you can’t move it out of the way, you can apply a small amount of orthodontic wax over the protruding end. At all cost, don’t attempt to cut the wire because you may accidentally swallow or inhale it into your lungs.
If you want to learn more about how to take care of your teeth with braces, seek expert advice from holistic dentists.
