A Guide to Maintaining Good Oral Health During Orthodontic Treatment

A Guide to Maintaining Good Oral Health During Orthodontic Treatment : You already know that maintaining good oral hygiene is important for everyone — but it’s crucial for people who are undergoing an orthodontic treatment procedure.

When you are wearing braces or clear aligners for misaligned teeth, you need to make sure you have a strict routine to maintain your oral hygiene.

Dental plaque is one of the most notorious enemies of oral health. Plaque is formed by a thin coating of microorganisms and bacteria on the teeth and gums. This can potentially cause harmful oral diseases, bad breath, or gum diseases. Keeping plaque under control when you are undergoing orthodontic surgery is really important.

Here are a few tips for maintaining oral health when you are undergoing orthodontic care:

Brush Effectively When Wearing Braces

You need to brush thoroughly after you eat a meal or each time you eat a snack to avoid stained teeth from braces. If it is not possible to brush after a meal, make sure you at least rinse your mouth with water. Use a soft, round-bristle toothbrush. Braces can wear out a toothbrush quickly, so make sure to replace it on a regular interval. Use a toothpaste with fluoride.

Floss Everyday

You should floss at least once a day even if you are not undergoing any orthodontic treatment.

For people with clear aligners, flossing is easy as you can take out the aligners when you are flossing your teeth. But for people who wear braces, flossing might be a more difficult task. Floss threaders and special kinds of floss are available for people who wear braces and have difficulty flossing their teeth.

Use Mouthwash Regularly

Mouthwash is a must for people who have recently undergone orthodontic surgery. Mouthwash with fluoride (with either 0.05% sodium fluoride to be used daily, or 0.2% to be used weekly) can help with remineralization.

The process of bacteria eroding the tooth enamel causing decay and cavities is called demineralization. The process of restoring the acidic balance in the teeth naturally is called remineralization.

You can also use electric toothbrushes, interproximal brushes, chlorhexidine mouthwashes, and fluoride mouthwashes to make sure your oral health in check.

Eating Right with Braces

When you first get braces, you have to make a few dietary adjustments to adjust to your braces properly.

Here are the few foods that you should avoid:

Avoid eating chewy foods like bread and licorice.
Avoid eating crunchy food like popcorn and chips.
Avoid hard candies like lollipops, caramel candies, chewing gum, and gummy candies.

Regularly Clean the Retainer

If you are wearing a clear aligner or a retainer, it should be cleaned daily.

A cleaning solution is also available. But avoid using hot water on the retainer, since the warm water may distort the soft plastic. When you are not using it, keep the retainer in a case for hygiene purposes.

Professional Care

It is essential to visit an orthodontist to clean your teeth regularly.

Your orthodontist will make sure that your teeth are healthy, and there is no chance of plaque developing on your teeth.

Keeping plaque under control is very important to maintain strong, healthy teeth and gums.

Your orthodontic treatment is a team effort. Your oral hygiene is the joint responsibility of your orthodontist and you.

Author:

Sharon William‘s day job is to handle digital marketing for Koch Orthodontics in Loganville, GA. With a flair for creating compelling content that clears the clutter and connects with the audience in an instant, she writes about dental topics to educate and help her readers. She truly believes that a genuine smile can win a million hearts and talks to her readers about improving their smiles and overall dental health, as well as enhancing their overall lifestyle. In her free time, she likes to organize small meets in her neighborhood where she brings people together to discuss various topics that she writes about.