Orthodontic Tips for Patients Wearing Dental Braces
Dental braces are terrific aides when it comes to rectifying malocclusions of the teeth and jaws. The best thing about these orthodontic appliances is that they can be worn by people of all ages who suffer from some kind of deformity on their teeth or jaws.
Once fitted by an orthodontist, dental braces must be well-taken care of to ensure that they provide the desired results. The following tips can assist you to take good care of your dental braces for the entire duration of treatment.
Diet and habits
One thing that you will need to be more cautious about when you have dental braces is what you drink and eat. Giving up some foods can be really hard but it is something that you will have to do as long as you are wearing braces because these dental devices comprise brackets and wires with several nooks and crannies, which can easily harbor food particles.
Avoid taking hard foods such as popcorn, nuts, frozen ice foods, taco shells, hard cookies and candies, potato chips, etc., as they may break or bend the brackets on your braces. By extension, you should also avoid the habit of biting on hard objects such as pencils, pens, finger nails, plastic bottle caps, and so on.
In addition, you should stay away from chewy and sticky foods such as gummies, sticky candies, bagels, licorice snacks, etc. as well as sugary drinks such as soda. Instead, you should opt for braces-friendly foods that won't cause a lot of problems. This means substituting hard, sticky or sugary niceties with soft foods like cooked rice, vegetables and soft bread.
Damaged braces
As your teeth begin to take the desired shape while you are putting on braces, the wires and elastics on your braces can become loose. Therefore, you should not be scared when this happens. If a protruding wire is pricking the inside of your mouth, use a blunt object to reposition it back in the bracket. After that, book an appointment with your orthodontist so that they can repair the braces, as it is rather uncomfortable and unsafe to walk around while wearing damaged braces. At the orthodontic clinic, loose wires will be re-tightened and worn elastics replaced.
Emergency care
You should also see your orthodontist in case of an emergency that results in severe pain or damage to your braces (e.g. if you sustain facial injuries when engaging in a sports activity).