Braces treatment will take a period of time before completion. During this period, it's important to care for your braces and ensure that it is well taken care of. Here are some tips and recommendations to minimise problems during your orthodontic braces treatment.
* Flossing is key to maintaining good dental hygiene.
Since braces are a foreign object in the mouth, it may affect effective cleaning of the tooth surfaces. If hygiene is not properly maintained, gum disease, dental carries and other oral health issues may surface. Although flossing is not as simple a task as before, it's still essential to perform it on a daily basis. This will ensure that there are no dental health problems when the braces are removed at the end of treatment. To assist with flossing, a floss threader can be used to make cleaning easier. Additionally, interdental brushes can be used
* Avoid problematic foods
Sticky or hard foods do not go well with braces. Not only are the hard to clean off, but they are also a fertile breeding ground for bacteria and pose a risk of damage and breakage to the brackets and wires. As such, it is best to avoid foods such as toffee, caramel, chocolate, gum and nuts as much as possible
* Chew with back teeth
If your current eating habit involve chewing and biting with the front teeth, it is preferable to switch eating habits to bite and chew with the rear teeth. Biting and chewing with the front teeth can increase the risk of damage to the braces, especially with large pieces of food. Ideally, large food should be cut into small pieces for your back teeth to chew. This is important for food such as corn on the cob, which should be consumed by cutting the corn bits off the cob prior to eating and chewing.
* Wear rubber bands and headgear consistently
Orthodontic treatment relies on the use of consistent force and pressure to shift the teeth into the correct alignment. Interrupted and intermittent usage of orthodontic appliances would result in ineffective treatment. Failure to wear them can result in prolonging the duration of treatment. As such, it is recommended to cultivate a good habit of wearing orthodontic appliances regularly and properly in order to achieve the desired outcome and complete the treatment in a timely manner.