Home Care
Brushing
Brushing and Flossing is of utmost importance. Your braces will tend to collect more plaque and food particles around your teeth. You must spend extra time and effort cleaning your teeth and gums. Poor oral hygiene will cause permanent stains, cavities and gum disease!
Start by brushing back and forth between the wires and gums on the upper and lower teeth to help loose food particles. Next, brush your upper teeth in a circular motion starting at one end and working your way across. Repeat for the lower teeth.
Then, brush on the inner surfaces of your upper and lower teeth. Finally, scrub all the chewing surfaces of your teeth. After you rinse, always look in the mirror to make sure you haven’t missed any areas. Go back and brush any areas if you need to.
Don’t forget to brush the gum line thoroughly, angling the bristles to work them underneath the wire. Brush after eating & before bed time for a minimum of 4 minutes. Replace your toothbrush every 4-6 weeks with a soft bristle brush. Your braces should look clean and shiny, free of any food particles and plaque.
Flossing
Eating Habits
Please do not eat hard foods: nuts, ice, crisp taco shells, whole apples and carrots (cut them into pieces first), hard French bread crust and rolls, spareribs, corn on the cob (cut the corn off the cob before eating), and popcorn! These foods risk breaking brackets and wires. Also beware of nail biting and pen or pencil chewing habits, since these can damage your braces. Do not eat sticky foods: taffy, caramels, bubble gum, or sticky candy of any sort. Use common sense about most foods.
You can preview a copy of our Freels Orthodontics “Starting Your Orthodontic Treatment Manual”
Absolutely No:
- Gum
- Lollipops
- Caramels
- Sugar Daddies
- Starbursts
- Caramel Apples
- Sugar Babies
- Licorice
- Toffee
- Tootsie Rolls
- Now&Laters
- Crunching ice
- Jerky
Mostly No (Caution):
- Hard Foods
- Nuts
- Popcorn
- Bagels
- Apples
- Corn on the Cob
- Pizza Crusts
- Carrots (uncooked)
- Doritos
- Pretzels
- Takis
- Cheetos
Eat much less:
- Candy
- Ice Cream
- Cake, Cookies
- Pie
- Foods with Sugar
Drink much less:
- Pop/Soda
- Drinks with Sugar
