How to Care for Teeth With Braces

Tuesday - September 20th, 2016

Braces help improve many things about the appearance of your teeth: the alignment, bite, spacing, and more.

But it’s important to remember that proper oral care includes keeping teeth healthy and strong, too. Braces create space for food and bacteria to hide in your mouth, which can lead to plaque buildup and eventually cavities. Here are some tricks putting up the best defense:

Brush after every meal and snack. This helps clear your mouth of remaining food particles that could lead to buildup. If you have an electronic toothbrush, you may want to consider a head that’s specific to braces.
Try toothpaste with fluoride to combat decalcification. Decalcification happens when plaque stays on the tooth enamel for too long and the calcium starts to leech out of the enamel, resulting in white spots on the teeth. Good oral hygiene is the first precaution to avoid decalcification, but using fluoridated toothpastes can help to re-mineralize the affected areas.
In addition to brushing, it is also very important to floss daily. You may want to look into purchasing a water flosser, as some studies show it may be easier to use and more effective in removing plaque for people wearing braces.

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Orthodontics may be provided by general dentists.