Brushing and flossing is extremely important when you have braces. With braces, it is much more difficult to brush properly and remove plaque due to the brackets and wires on the teeth. Food particles and plaque pile up onto the brackets and wires and it seems as if you are suddenly the garbage collector every time you eat! Flossing also takes more time leaving a person frustrated and many times, non compliant. When plaque and tartar remain on the teeth, the bacteria weaken the enamel around the brackets and between the teeth, causing cavities and visible white spots.
People have to be proactive with brushing and flossing when braces are placed. Brushing and flossing after eating is very important as well as limiting excess consumption of sugary drinks or food, acidic drinks (power drinks or soda), and also the amount of carbohydrates that are eaten. Drinking lots of water will help the teeth stay cleaner.
Regular checkups at the dentist are also a must. We will go over the proper techniques of brushing and flossing and if we see some areas of concern, we may recommend prescription toothpaste that has Fluoride at 5 times stronger concentrations that will help the enamel stay strong and resistant to decay. Helpful tools for flossing make it a little easier and we have many tips for our patients with braces. Occasionally, we will recommend more frequent visits due to excess build up or irritation of the gums.
It’s exciting to see patients get their braces off and have beautifully straight teeth that are healthy too!