From the very first day you return from the local orthodontist, you will find that the once easy daily activity of brushing and flossing your teeth is no longer such an easy thing to do. It's well known that brushing and flossing every single day will help you avoid stains and cavities, and those with braces will need completely new strategies for brushing to get around all the metal brackets safely and to help maintain good oral hygiene.
To begin with, use fluoride toothpaste that's given to you by your orthodontist or at least one which bears the seal of the American Dental Association. Avoid utilizing teeth whitening toothpaste, as it won't help deal with the build up all around your braces. Fluoride toothpastes can help with brushing mainly because it will penetrate the cracks and crevasses where bacteria is growing and eliminate it.
Additionally, it's also recommended to brush not just before bed time, but additionally right after eating any meal. One of the reasons for this is that foods that stain could easily blemish the rubber on your brackets, which may make them appear unattractive. This will also help lessen the discoloration around them, which may not be so apparent before having them detached. In addition, this can be one more measure to getting food out of them and reducing bacteria build-up.
While brushing your teeth, have your toothbrush pointed at a 45 degree angle, utilizing a steady up and down movement. Don't forget to brush the bottom, back, and top of each tooth. Another thing to make note of is that it is best to always use a soft-bristle toothbrush. Even for those lacking equipment in their mouths, a hard-bristle toothbrush can hurt your gums and also brush away your teeth enamel. For the people taking care of thier brackets, utilizing soft brushes can help avoid breaking your hardware, including breaking a wire open or snapping a bracket off.
When flossing your teeth, you must be extra careful while working around the brackets. Before beginning, be sure and take off all of the rubber bands first. Be sure to floss between every tooth, making sure you don't apply excessive pressure. Doing this can help you to avoid breaks and snags, or having your floss break off, becoming tangled around your braces. Having floss trapped in your teeth could possibly create a colony for plaque or bacteria to survive. Also, working with waxed floss can make the task less difficult and guarantee that your floss is not as likely to break and get snagged.
Lastly, keeping your toothbrush clean and new is also important to proper brushing. Be sure to change your toothbrush every 3-4 months, or when there is any wear and tear showing on the bristles. An old toothbrush's bristles can also break off in between your teeth. Yet another good idea is to buy a new toothbrush after any sickness you may catch, since the germs are able to dwell deep within your toothbrush.
Dealing with the work, time, and money of using braces is a lot to handle but, with good care and brushing, it will be worth it in the end.
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For the best Knoxville orthodontist please Hardin Valley Orthodontics and for the best Maryville orthodontist please visit Eberting Orthodontics.
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