5 Tips For Anybody New To Braces

31 August 2020
 Categories: Dentist, Blog

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Are you planning to have braces placed on your teeth fairly soon to correct your smile? If so, you should follow these tips to help everything go smoothly.

Get Brackets That Complement Your Smile

Your dentist may offer you brackets or rubber bands that are fun colors and stand out, but it may not be best for you in the long run. You should pick a color that complements your smile rather than stand out. Ask about getting ceramic brackets that are white in color and blend in with your teeth. These will be much less noticeable to others since sometimes people will not even notice that you are wearing braces unless you give a big smile. 

Avoid Whitening Products

You should avoid using any products to whiten your teeth while you are wearing braces. You must remember that the brackets for braces cover a portion of your teeth, and any whitening product is going to not touch that area underneath the bracket. It can cause your teeth to look odd when you take the brackets off since there will be spots that have notable discoloration where the whitening product wasn't able to touch the tooth.

Avoid Chewing Gum

Have a habit of chewing gum? You may want to break this habit while you are wearing braces because gum tends to get stuck in the braces very easily. You'll find that you end up spending a lot of time getting the gum off the brackets and whites when you chew on gum for even a little while. 

Floss Frequently

Flossing may be more difficult than ever when you have braces on your teeth, but you should be doing it more frequently when you have braces. Bacteria will be stuck in between your teeth more easily, and if ignored, they can cause decay and bad breath. Floss more frequently to prevent this from happening, even if it takes more time.

Don't Eat Certain Foods

You'll likely get a list of foods from your orthodontist that you should be avoiding while you wear braces. Some foods are going to naturally cause problems because they are tough and can put a lot of pressure on the brackets. For example, certain sticky candies may stick to the brackets and put a lot of pressure on them when you open your mouth. The same thing can happen when chewing on carrots, which are tough to bite through and can cause problems over time. 

Contact a clinic like Reed & Sahlaney Orthodontics, LLP to learn more.