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Braces are an excellent solution for achieving a straighter and healthier smile. Crowded, shifted, and misaligned teeth affect your bite, leading to TMJ pain and headaches over time, so ensuring a better bite with braces in Pembroke Pines is crucial to enjoying your daily life. 

However, braces require a dedicated oral hygiene routine to prevent complications like cavities, gum disease, and discoloration—especially considering how brackets and wires create numerous spaces where food and plaque can accumulate. To help you maintain good oral hygiene despite this, here are some essential tips. 

Essential Oral Hygiene Tips for People with Braces

1. Brush Thoroughly and Frequently

Brushing is the foundation of good oral hygiene, but when you have braces, you must be extra diligent. Use an orthodontic toothbrush or soft-bristled toothbrush with a small head to get to all the places surrounding the brackets and wires. 

Brush after every meal to remove food particles trapped in your braces. Hold your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle and clean around each bracket carefully. We advise using fluoride toothpaste to further strengthen enamel and prevent cavities. 

Remember to brush your gum line to avoid gingivitis and inflammation. If you can, keep a small kit with essentials like a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss threaders, and interdental brushes with you at all times, as food can easily get stuck in braces during the day, too.

2. Use an Interdental Brush or Water Flosser

While flossing can be difficult when wearing braces, skipping it can result in plaque accumulation, increasing your chances of developing gum disease. Luckily, there are different options you can consider if floss isn’t the interdental cleaner for you, such as: 

• Interdental brushes that help clean around brackets and between teeth where regular brushes may not reach. 

• Water flossers (oral irrigators) which use a gentle stream of water to dislodge food particles and bacteria. 

• Floss threaders that make it easier to use regular dental floss by guiding it between your teeth and under the wires. 

3. Rinse with Mouthwash

Incorporating a fluoride or antibacterial mouthwash into your oral hygiene routine can be a good decision. These mouthwashes can help reduce plaque, prevent gum disease, and strengthen enamel. 

Still, brushing and flossing properly before are crucial, too.

4. Watch Your Diet

Some foods can cause braces to break or make cleaning more challenging. Avoid the following: 

• Sticky and chewy foods like caramel, gum, and taffy can get stuck in brackets. 

• Hard foods such as nuts, popcorn, and hard candies can break wires and brackets. 

• Sugary snacks and drinks that increase the risk of cavities and plaque buildup. 

Choose soft foods like cheese, yogurt, bananas, and steamed veggies instead, as they are good for your teeth and braces.

5. Schedule Regular Dental Checkups

It is essential to see your dentist and orthodontist regularly. Your orthodontist will ensure your braces are working properly, monitor your oral health, clean your teeth professionally, and address any emerging problems. 

Protect Your Oral Health with Braces in Pembroke Pines

Keeping your teeth and gums healthy while wearing braces is crucial to the success of your orthodontic treatment. If not, plaque buildup can lead to cavities and gum inflammation, which may force us to stop your treatment and conduct a thorough dental cleaning. 

To prevent that, it’s important to put in extra effort to ensure your smile remains healthy and clean throughout your orthodontic journey. If you’d like to learn more about achieving that, Village Square Dental can help, so contact us today!