Why Oral Hygiene Matters in Orthodontics
Being sure to take the best possible care of your teeth can sometimes be a challenge, but it’s about a lot more than just visiting your orthodontist regularly and making sure your teeth look nice. Proper oral hygiene is as crucial to overall health as exercise and eating well. When wearing braces for kids or adults, how you care for your teeth can have consequences that continue well past the day you get your braces off. So while proper dental care with orthodontics can take a little extra effort and time, it is more than worth it.
- Brushing with Braces
The most important thing you can do for your teeth while you are in braces is to regularly brush them. Ideally, you should brush your teeth after every time you eat. It is a good idea to get in the habit of carrying a travel toothbrush with you. If you don’t brush your teeth at least a couple of times each day, plaque gets built up in all the tiny spaces made by the brackets and wires of your orthodontics. Plaque, which is composed of tons of bacteria, could cause all sorts of problems, like cavities, gingivitis, and permanent stains.
- Flossing with Braces
Flossing is also crucial in the care of your teeth. Floss can allow you to get to all the tiny places that can be hard to reach with a toothbrush. It will help you to remove any plaque that may have been missed while brushing, and also allows you to provide your gums with stimulation. While getting floss around your brackets can be a bit more challenging, there are many tools you can use that make it easier, such as floss threaders.
- Rinsing with Braces
While using mouthwash with braces is no more difficult than without braces, it is a crucial part of the process. Any stubborn plaque that has hung on after brushing and flossing will be attacked by the mouthwash. Rinsing helps give you fresher breath, and can even work to get rid of tiny food particles even if you don’t have a chance to brush. Rinsing also helps your chances of preventing gum disease, or gingivitis.
The moral of the story is oral hygiene matters. It helps you stay healthy and confident in your smile. And after going through full orthodontics treatment, why wouldn’t you want to get the most out of your newly straightened smile?
