| Protecting Your Smile While Wearing Braces | | | | Luckily, most foods can still be eaten if cut into small |
| When you get braces, caring for your teeth becomes | | | | pieces or mashed so that they can be easily chewed. |
| very important, and more care will be needed than | | | | Enjoy an ear of corn by removing the corn from the |
| usual. Watching what you eat and how you care for | | | | cob, or cut your apple into small pieces rather than |
| you braces is vital to ensuring your braces bring you | | | | eating it as a whole. Refrain from chewing bubble gum, |
| the results you desire. With proper care and routine | | | | ice and other chewy foods like taffy or caramels. Hard |
| cleaning, you can guarantee yourself a radiant smile | | | | foods like nuts, popcorn and hard pretzels can also |
| when you are finished with your orthodontic treatment. | | | | damage your braces and should not be eaten until |
| Flossing and Brushing Tips For Your Braces | | | | your braces are removed. |
| While wearing braces, the risk of gum disease and | | | | Try to avoid habits such as pencil chewing, nail biting |
| tooth decay is much higher as food particles and | | | | and picking at your wires as this can also lead to |
| bacteria are easily lodged in and around the wires. If | | | | broken braces. Keep in mind that broken braces will |
| not cared for properly, this build up can stain your teeth | | | | require extra appointments and time. Make an |
| and lead to tooth decay. | | | | appointment immediately if yours are damaged so that |
| Routine brushing and flossing are more important than | | | | your orthodontic treatment won't be delayed. |
| ever and should be done correctly and regularly. If | | | | Protect your Mouth |
| possible, brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste after | | | | If you participate in sports that require physical contact, |
| every meal. Follow by rinsing with a fluoride | | | | you will want to be especially careful while wearing |
| mouthwash to remove any remaining food that may | | | | your braces. Any contact to the mouth could not only |
| be trapped in your wires. Flossing will be more | | | | break or damage your braces, but it could seriously |
| challenging with braces, but is necessary for removing | | | | injure your teeth and gums. When playing sports |
| food from those hard to reach places. Feed the floss | | | | where there is chance of getting struck in the mouth, |
| between the wires to reach the spaces between your | | | | wear a custom designed mouth guard. These durable |
| teeth and use a gentle sawing motion to work the | | | | mouth pieces fit over your braces and teeth and |
| floss in and out of your teeth. | | | | protect your mouth tissue from painful contact with |
| Ask your orthodontist about special cleaning aids such | | | | your braces. |
| as a proxabrush, which is specially designed to clean | | | | Caring for your braces will require a little more time |
| between wires and appliances. | | | | and effort on your part, but is necessary to keep your |
| Braces- Friendly Diet | | | | teeth and gums healthy. Remember that caring for |
| You will want to monitor your behavior and eating | | | | your braces is only temporary, but your new, beautiful |
| habits when wearing braces. Such habits can bend, | | | | smile will last a lifetime! |
| break or loosen your braces and should be avoided. | | | | |