Getting Braces? Know The Techniques To Keep Your Teeth Healthy

Are you getting braces in order to get your teeth into proper alignment? If so, part of the treatment that cannot be ignored is the care that you take at home. If you are not keeping your teeth healthy, it will lead to other dental problems that will cause damage to your teeth. Here are some techniques that will help you have a successful orthodontic treatment by keeping your teeth healthy, clean, and looking good. 

Brush After Every Meal If Possible

One of the problems with braces is that food can get stuck around the metal brackets, which causes tooth decay over time. Ideally, you should be brushing after every meal or snack that you have, but that is just not practical to do. At a bare minimum, brush twice a day, with making sure you do it in the morning after breakfast and at night before bed. If you're able to brush after other meals and snacks, then you'll be doing even more to improve your oral health.

Use Proper Brushing Technique

Brushing harder is not going to get your teeth any cleaner when you have braces on. It is important to always use a soft bristle brush with light pressure. Consider getting an electric toothbrush with a pressure sensor if you tend to put a lot of pressure on your teeth when brushing. Not only is it better for your teeth, but it will be better for your brackets. Make sure you are not ignoring the gum line above the brackets since that is where so much plaque and debris get trapped. 

Avoid Whitening Toothpastes

Since you are doing things to correct the position of your teeth, you may be looking into ways that you can change the color of your teeth as well. As tempting as it may be to use a whitening toothpaste, it is best to avoid using it during your orthodontic treatment. There is a possibility that your teeth actually become whiter, but it doesn't do anything to the portion of the teeth hidden underneath the brackets. This can cause the teeth to look discolored when the brackets are taken off your teeth and make them look bad.

Use A Water Flosser

One of the most challenging parts of wearing braces is flossing, especially if all you have is a floss threader that you must manually thread between each set of teeth. Consider getting a water flosser that will make it much easier to keep the space between your teeth clean during the course of the treatment. 

For more information about orthodontic treatments, contact an orthodontist near you.