ORAL HEALTH AND YOUR BRACES
Whether you’ve chosen to get traditional metal braces or you opted for clear braces you still want to maintain good oral health. No one wants to hear from their Colorado Springs orthodontist Dr. Scott Suter that they have cavities or gum disease. Protect your smile while also getting the beautiful results you want with orthodontics by following these simple oral care rules:
Be More Meticulous
If you take a look at your smile you may notice that with braces there are brackets and wires and even more spots where food can become trapped. This means that you are at an increased risk of developing decay or gum disease if you don’t properly care for your smile. To keep these issues from ruining your teeth you’ll want to pay attention to how often and how effectively you brush.
If you find it challenging to use regular floss with traditional braces then talk to your Colorado Springs dentist about other flossing options you can use to get into those tight spaces without damaging your braces.
Adopt a Smile-Friendly Diet
It’s not just sugar that can cause serious issues for your smile. Acidic foods are also damaging to tooth enamel. Even if some foods might be healthy for your body they may not be so friendly for your smile. Highly acidic foods include tomatoes, pickles, cherries, peaches, soft drinks, salsas and BBQ sauce. Instead, opt for low-acidity foods like milk, carrots, cucumbers, bananas, melons, poultry, seafood and pasta.
Especially for those with traditional braces, they should avoid certain foods to prevent damage to their braces. This means staying away from crunchy foods like nuts, and hard breads and cookies, as well as sticky foods like caramel or fruit bars.
Beware Bad Habits
Besides taking on new dietary habits it’s also important that you are cognizant of other problems like nail biting, teeth grinding, tongue thrusting or picking at your braces. Also, never use your teeth as tools, which can cause healthy enamel to chip off. If you do end up damaging your smile or your braces you’ll need to come into our Colorado Springs dental office right away.
You can also make sure that you preserve your oral health by seeing Dr. Scott Suter in Colorado Springs for routine checkups. Patients should be coming in every four to six weeks when they have braces. After all, we want to make sure your smile is getting the best care it can get. Turn to Suter Orthodontics for smile results you can trust.
