Taking Care of Your Teeth and Braces
Wearing Braces helps you have a beautiful smile, but:
Not looking after your teeth may permanently damage your teeth. You must follow instructions on home care to avoid:
Stains
White spots and cavities
Gum disease and red bleeding gums
Brushing, flossing and avoiding certain food protect you beautiful smile
Brushing Properly
• Your tooth brush should have a small head and soft bristles
• Brush in the morning, lunch and after dinner
• Carry a travel brush with you for brushing after eating while out
• Brush thoroughly , at least 2 minutes
• Use a fluoride toothpaste
• Brush from above and below the brackets and wires, at an angle
Flossing Properly:
• Floss once a day
• Use a floss threader to floss under the wire
• Use a window squige motion when flossing, i.e. . . . up and down the tooth
• Floss between each tooth
Other important stuff:
• You may need to use a proxabrush, your dentist or hygienist will show you
• You may need a fluoride gel or rinse once a day
• If you have a removable appliance you need to brush it both sides, whenever you brush your teeth
Retainers
Care and Feeding
Retainers are made out of wires , clasps and plastic and are constructed for the purpose of holding teeth. They are placed after the appliances have been removed, your teeth need to stabilize while both the bone builds up around them. Since retainers are removable, their use and care is entirely dependent upon the patient. Strict attention to instructions is absolutely necessary.
>Wearing your retainers
Your retainers should be worn ALL the time except when eating at home, brushing, participating in contact sports, or swimming ,where they could not be retrieved, when your retainers are not in your mouth, they should be kept in the case we provide and in a safe place, do not put them on top of a table where they can get knocked off or in a pocket where they may be easily cracked. Keep them away from dogs as they will very quickly chew them if given the opportunity.
When you are eating away from the home, you must take them out but be sure NEVER, NEVER to wrap them in paper towel, napkin or tissue. This is the most common way of losing them. ALWAYS put them in the plastic retainer case we give you and ALWAYS KEEP THEM IN A SAFE PLACE!!!!!
After the braces are removed, most patients must wear their retainers all the time, 24 hours a day. In a year , if your teeth seem stable, we will advise you to wear them only at night.
Adjusting to retainers
• At first, your retainers will feel bulky. Speech may be a problem and sometimes they will cause a slight lisp. In a few days speech usually returns to normal, so don’t worry about it.
• The day after you receive your retainers your teeth may be a bit sore. This won’t last long . Should sore spots develop ,call the office and we will adjust them.
Keeping Retainers Clean & Safe
• Retainers need to be cleaned 3-4 times a day and always after eating.
• Once or twice a week soak them in retainer cleaner( available at a drug store)
• Brush both sides of the retainer, use toothpaste too if you wish .
• Dropping your retainer breaks it
• Flicking it up and down on you teeth breaks the wires
• Don’t keep them in you pocket and sit on them
Lost or Broken? Call the office immediately 613-966-1225