Preventing Damage to Your Braces

During orthodontic treatment, you need to take special care of teeth and gums. Extra brushing and additional flossing tools may become part of your routine. At the same time, you need to ensure that nothing happens to your braces. The following tips will help you protect your investment:

Eat right
While you have braces, you should avoid certain foods. Hard candy and sticky substances can crack brackets or break off wires. When you have apples or carrots, cut them in bite size pieces just to be safe.

Wear a mouth guard
For sports activities, you need to protect your face and mouth by having a mouth guard. Normally, dentists and orthodontists recommend custom mouth guards, but during orthodontic treatment you need the store-bought appliances so that your mouth guard won’t damage your braces.

Report problems immediately
Even when you do everything right, you may still have a broken bracket or loose wire. Apply dental wax if you experience discomfort and contact your orthodontist for the next step.

Curtail bad habits
Chewing on ice or biting your nails can harm your teeth and cause problems with your orthodontia.

Don’t make adjustments yourself
If your wires or brackets don’t seem right to you, call the orthodontist. Attempting to correct the issue can create bigger problems.

Visit the dentist for checkups
At these appointments, your dentist can make sure teeth and gums are holding up well during your time in braces. If enamel weakens or you develop gum disease, you could have trouble with your brackets and wires.

Burbank Orthodontist

Protecting Orthodontia over the Holiday Season

November brings Thanksgiving, and December follows with Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanza. During the holidays, people gather with friends and family, enjoying fantastic meals and wonderful treats. Carmel apples, roasted nuts, toffee, and other sweets can wreak havoc on braces, retainers, and other orthodontia. To prevent broken or damaged appliances, consider these suggestions:

• Stay away from gooey caramels and crunchy nuts, which can break brackets or dislodge retainers.
• Choose soft treats like chocolate or pumpkin pie since they won’t harm your orthodontic appliances.
• Don’t chew ice as you finish a festive beverage. Not only can it damage your braces, but it can also crack or chip your teeth.
• If you are wearingInvisalign clear aligners, make sure to remove them before any holiday gatherings.
• After you return home, remember to carefully brush and floss teeth. Because having braces make it more difficult to keep teeth clean, take extra care during the holidays so that you won’t develop any new cavities.
• Try a whitening toothpaste to add a little sparkle to your smile.

Even when you are careful, accidents may still happen. If you knock a bracket off or loosen a wire, contact your orthodontist as soon as possible. Place wax over the area if the damaged appliance starts to irritate your mouth or gums. Most of the time, these situations can wait until the office opens again.

Giving you something to smile about at our Sherman Oaks, CA orthodontic office – Mehdi Fotovat, DDS.