Dental brace are devices used to correct a misaligned jaw or crooked or crowded teeth. They are often used during adolescence but recently, more adults are getting dental brace later in life. Unfortunately, many people that get braces are not really aware of the care that goes into keeping the braces clean in order to maintain good oral health. They get surprised when they visit the orthodontist to get the braces taken out, and they are met with a smile that is overshadowed by the unhealthy state of their teeth.
If you have braces, there are a few things you need to do during the course of your treatment to ensure that you get the most out of it. Some of these things include:
Always Remember to Pay Your Dentist A Visit
Your dentist is the primary health provider in your dental health journey. Orthodontists fix your bite, straighten your teeth and keep track of how your treatment progress. Most people think that visiting their orthodontists on a regular basis is enough. However, they forget that a dentist will check for other oral health problems like gum disease and tooth decay and will apply the appropriate treatment before they get worse.
Avoid Skipping Your Orthodontic Appointments
Your orthodontist draws up a treatment plan that can be achieved within a particular time frame. You should avoid skipping your appointments because it is during this time that your orthodontist will note if the teeth are moving the way they should be moving. If for some reason this is failing, your orthodontist will make adjustments to keep your treatment plan as scheduled. Skipping appointments delays the “adjustments” and prolongs your treatment, meaning that you might miss out on achieving your desired results.
Get Regular Cleanings
Dental brace have many areas for food to get entrapped in and these food particles lead to buildup of plaque. Plaque is a major cause of serious dental problems such as gum disease, cavities and stained teeth. It also demineralizes the teeth around the brackets, making teeth weaker as time goes on. For these reasons, it is recommended you get professional cleaning on your teeth regularly at least every 3 months to prevent oral problems.
Remember to Follow Your Orthodontist’s Instructions
Your orthodontist will give you some instructions you will need to follow to make your treatment short and successful. Avoid chewing and biting on sticky candles, ice and hard food items that could easily break your brackets or wires. Constantly breaking your wires and brackets makes it almost impossible for your teeth to move, and this adds months of delay to your treatment. You should also wear your elastics as instructed by the orthodontist. Elastics produce the right amount of force to move your teeth to the right direction. Failure to wear them might prolong your treatment.
Mind Your Oral Hygiene
Poor oral hygiene slows down your treatment by slowing down teeth movement due to infection. Swollen gums make it difficult for the orthodontist to work on you and at times when the infection becomes severe, you might be forced to remove the braces to allow the infection to be resolved first.
At Real Smile, our highly qualified dental specialists work tirelessly to ensure you get the smile you have always wanted. Our orthodontic treatments are top-notch and our team is ready to answer any questions you might have concerning what you can do to take care of your braces. Contact us today to set up an appointment with one of our dental specialists.