You know that oral hygiene is important. But if you are undergoing orthodontic treatment, then oral hygiene becomes crucial. While the braces are correcting your misaligned teeth, foods can get trapped in the gear of your braces or clear aligners. Furthermore, it is much harder to clean your teeth when you are wearing your appliances. It is much more challenging, but it is not impossible, so you can do it. In this article, you will learn about the importance of having a perfect oral health during your orthodontic treatment and a few tips that can help you with that.
The most dangerous enemy of your oral health is plaque. The food that gets trapped between your teeth and in your gear can lead to the formation of plaque. This plaque is a thin coating of microorganisms (biofilm) that you usually find on your teeth in the morning when you wake up. The bacteria in the plaque feed on the sugars that enter your mouth and produce acids that erode your teeth and damage your gums. Because of your braces and other appliances, removing plaque becomes more difficult. By keeping plaque on your teeth your teeth could get stained and carried, and you could even suffer from bad breath and gum disease.
There are three ways of keeping a good oral hygiene: controlled diet, daily maintenance, and regular dentist visits. Combining all three you provide your teeth with the best defense.
Daily maintenance
By brushing and flossing daily, you keep a healthy smile, even if you are under orthodontic treatment. Even if your braces make cleaning harder, you have to be patient and invest time in cleaning your teeth. You can find special tools that help you clean your teeth when you’re wearing braces, such as electric toothbrushes and interdental brushes. Always use a toothbrush that has soft bristles and brush for at least 2 minutes and a half.
Diet and decay
You have to understand that this diet does not mean that you have to lose any weight. You just have to stay away from the foods that increase the risk of tooth decay. Cut down the foods that contain excessive sugars (and today almost all sweets contain too many sugars). In addition to this, stay away from hard foods, such as nuts, candies, jerky and the hard crust of the pizza. You should also avoid eating sticky foods.
Instead, you should try eating healthy foods such as apples and carrots. Cut them into small pieces instead of biting so you don’t damage your appliances.
Professional care
You have to visit both your orthodontist and your dentist on a regular basis. While your orthodontist improves your bite and teeth alignment, your dentist makes sure your teeth are healthy. If there are any newly appeared problems, such as cavities, your dentist can resolve them without having to take your appliance off. An orthodontic gear is a collective effort and everybody has a role to play to improve your smile.
