11 November 2022 | Dr. Frédéric Lavoie
Wearing orthodontic braces requires maintaining special dental hygiene. It is necessary to monitor all the small particles of food that can infiltrate in order to avoid gum disease and the development of cavities. It is also necessary to act with meticulousness to avoid breakage of boxes, rubber bands and arch wires, which are quite fragile.
Read the following article for tips on wearing traditional braces to avoid problematics and to optimize the duration of your treatment.
Recommendations for impeccable oral hygiene
Wearing ceramic braces to straighten your teeth requires increased vigilance. Food fits much more easily in hard-to-reach places. The risk of developing cavities is therefore increased.
Dentists know that it is much more complex to place a filling on a patient wearing braces. This practice should be avoided!
When brushing and flossing, you must be extra vigilant and meticulous to avoid certain problems. Here are some tips to adopt to optimize your oral health and thus your treatment:
- Brush your teeth rigorously after eating;
- Use a toothbrush designed for orthodontic braces;
- Floss on top and bottom at least twice a day;
- After consuming sugary foods or drinks, rinse your mouth.
By applying all these tips, you will ensure proper maintenance of your orthodontic treatment and optimal oral health. It is important to know that if you do not properly maintain your teeth, it is possible that by removing your braces, they may have turned yellow.
You don’t want any tooth colored when removing your treatment. There are treatment options to whiten your teeth but it can be expensive.
Behaviors to avoid
During treatment of traditional metal braces, several orthodontic problems can arise if you don’t avoid some elements. The instructions may vary depending on the types of orthodontic appliances used. However, certain behaviors should be avoided, regardless of the dental appliance.
Sticky, hard and difficult to chew foods should be avoided to maintain the stainless steel holding wire. Soft products should be favored, since the risk of damaging the skewers and wire to the bracket by consuming them is reduced.
Popcorn, sticky or hard candies, caramel and chewing gum are examples of foods to avoid. These foods can cause unwanted tooth movement. Caution is advised!
By not respecting these tips, your casings risk taking off and your wires risk moving. Result: an emergency appointment with your orthodontist or misaligned teeth. Damaged pins lead to patient discomfort and prolonged treatment because it can move the teeth in a bad way.
Invisalign: braces reinvented
These maintenance tips can become a real headache. By opting for the Invisalign treatment, you can say goodbye to all its limitations. This treatment is free of brackets and wires. You can work, eat and attempt social events without worrying about your braces.
The main advantage of these 2.0 pins is aesthetics, since they are transparent. However, its ease of maintenance should not be overlooked. This treatment is removable, allowing patients to remove them at any time.
Life is made easier: no food restrictions and no particular oral hygiene is necessary. You can thus keep the same lifestyle habits as before and have the smile of your dreams after a few months. The results of these 2.0 braces are the same! You will be able to have beautiful straight teeth without any inconvenience.
By choosing Invisalign treatment, you will be able to save a lot of time at the orthodontist office. You only need to maintain your Invisalign braces every 6 weeks. Traditional metal braces take much longer and many more appointments.
You now know how to ensure the proper maintenance of your traditional braces. As you will have seen, it can be complex sometimes to have to deal with all its restrictions.
By opting for the Invisalign treatment, you can forget all these worries ! Know that each mouth is unique. The various treatments are not suitable for all situations. Consult your orthodontist to find out which treatment is best suited to your situation.