Oral Health: 3 Crucial Tips for Maintaining Your Metal Braces

Metal braces are effective for dealing with malocclusion. If you have misaligned dental arches, crooked teeth and poor bite, these orthodontic devices can help in correcting the problems and promoting a beautiful smile and ideal dental functions. If you decide to have dental braces, you will need to be more diligent in caring for your teeth. The right precautions will help you protect your braces against damage and prevent the build-up of disease-causing microorganisms. Here are the most essential tips for maintaining your metal braces.

Improve Your Oral Hygiene Practices

Brushing and flossing are standard oral care practices for every individual. However, these cleaning processes are even more important for people with braces. In general, food particles get trapped quite easily beneath the dental devices. These trapped materials provide a source of nourishment for oral bacteria. If you are not diligent in cleaning, the bacteria will cause dental problems such as gum disease, teeth cavities and teeth discolouration and staining.

You should purchase a toothbrush slim and soft bristles. These bristles will reach deeper between the teeth and braces, eliminating plaque and food particles. Avoid hard brushes because they will wear away the vulnerable metal plating of the braces. It is also a good habit to rinse your mouth with water to remove particles before they settle. Additionally, you should use appropriate dental floss or an interdental brush to remove plaque and other build-up from the teeth gaps.

Avoid Crunchy and Hard Foods

You should avoid foods which could contribute to the damage of your braces. Metal braces are quite resilient, but there structure primarily consists of wires. If the wires are exposed to mechanical stress, they will become warped. This damage can affect their effectiveness and even injure your oral tissues. Therefore, you should avoid hard foodstuffs like apples, French bread, carrots and nuts. If you must include these types of foods in your menu, you should consider grinding, moistening or pureeing. Crunchy snacks such as potato crisps should be avoided because they can get lodged in the braces.

Keep Your Dental Appointments

Finally, you should keep your dental appointments as instructed by your dentist or orthodontist. You should never miss an appointment because the negligence could translate in inefficiencies in the treatment of the malocclusion. Remember, the dentist will need to make regular adjustments to keep the teeth moving in the right direction. Also, the expert will examine the braces and your dental structures and ensure that there are no unexpected changes, guaranteeing good oral health.