Making Orthodontic Care Easy

So you or someone in your family has committed to braces. You may be asking yourself “what now?” That’s a completely normal reaction to have when you get braces! A lot about your day-to-day life changes and you have to think about them whenever you get ready to eat or brush your teeth!

And Orthodontic Affiliates we’ve been creating great smiles for over 65 years and we would love to add yours to our list of success! That’s why we’re compiling this list of tips for your orthodontic treatment. Give it a look and hopefully you’ll learn something new!

Brushing Tips

Make sure you’re still brushing your teeth twice a day like usual. But your braces care doesn’t end there! You also need to use a special small-bristled brush to get between the wires and your teeth. A normal toothbrush can get most of your mouth clean still but you need to be disciplined about getting any hard-to-reach bits of plaque out from behind your smile!

Make sure you’re always flossing too! It definitely gets a bit more difficult with braces but it’s just as essential! Flossing once a day in the evening is recommended.

Some Foods Are Out!

When you’re wearing any kind of braces there are going to be dietary restrictions – sorry! Some foods just don’t play well with orthodontic equipment!

• Apples and other crisp, hard-to-bite foods can damage your braces and dislodge brackets!
  Caramel, toffee, and other sticky, stretchy foods can cause serious problems and they’re hard to clean from braces too!
• Corn on the cob is sadly out! But you can still enjoy it by cutting the kernels off the cob first!
• Any hard foods are off the table too – nuts, pretzels, and things like that are sure to ruin your braces!
• Chewing gum is also a definite no! Just like sticky food it can easily get stuck in your braces and pop rubber bands off, dislodge brackets, and other trouble!

Into Contact Sports? Not So Fast!

Wearing braces while playing rough sports is a dangerous way to do some serious damage! We can craft you a specially designed mouthguard that will work with your braces – be sure to ask us if you or someone in your family is a sports player!

Keeping All Necessary Appointments

When we give you a time estimate on treatment there’s one important thing that’s included in that count: the assumption that you make all of your appointments! When we see you or your child for orthodontic checkups we’re doing so to make sure everything is going to plan and to make adjustments! New wires, rubber bands, and general maintenance have to be performed on braces every few weeks in order to keep treatment on track!

You don’t want to end up adding months to your braces schedule just because of a missed appointment so be sure you’re making every one!

Once Treatment Is Over

When the braces come off treatment isn’t finished! You’ll have to start wearing a retainer to keep that beautiful smile in the right place! While your teeth would never go back to where they were originally (depending on the distance moved) they’ll definitely shift without proper care!

The first few months after your braces come off will involve you wearing your retainer daily. You’ll only take it off to eat and brush your teeth. After several months (each patient’s case is unique in this regard) you’ll be able to start wearing it only at night before you go to bed.

You’ll never truly be rid of your retainer, though! You’ll have to wear it at night for years to come! It’s all part of making sure your teeth stay in the exact proper spot! Braces are an investment in your future and you wouldn’t want that investment to be wasted by improper retainer use!

Still Have Questions?

We know this quick list of orthodontic care tips isn’t complete – there’s a lot to learn about caring for your braces! If you have any questions about you or your child’s care don’t hesitate to call Orthodontic Affiliates at 888-722-5033! You can also request an appointment at any of our seven northern Indiana locations by filling out our online request form. We look forward to seeing you soon!