When you get your braces, you are a bit closer to achieve your goal – a perfect smile. During the time you will be wearing your braces, you will be paying visits to your dentist on a regular basis. These visits are essential for adjusting your braces and to keep track if the braces are doing their job properly. However, aside from regular visits, here are a few other things you should keep in mind regarding your braces.
Don’t forget to follow up with your dentist
Your dentist is your primary provider of good oral health. So just checking in regularly to see if the braces are in good shape, doing their job as they are supposed to and maybe doing some minor adjustments… we’ll that’s not going to cut it. Your dentist needs to check your teeth to see if there are maybe some signs of decay or even gum disease. Furthermore, the restorations need to be checked and treat any problems before they get worse.
Regular cleanings
All braces are made up of brackets, wires, and brands. They are so tight together that you definitely need professional help to remove some of the tartar or plaque that accumulates over time. You can’t clean it all out on your own. Especially around the brackets. Plaque that builds up there can cause gingivitis and further demineralize your teeth. We recommend scheduling and having your teeth cleaned every 3 months. This will surely prevent oral problems from occurring.
Oral hygiene
Your treatment might not be so effective and ‘fast’ if your oral hygiene is poor. Poor oral hygiene tends to cause infections that prevent your teeth from moving faster and your braces aren’t doing the job they are supposed to, at least not as effectively as they can. Poor hygiene can also cause gum disease which makes your dentists work extremely difficult. In some cases, if the infection is really severe, your dentist might even remove the braces altogether in order to treat the infection. Once it’s cleared up, he can put your braces back on.
Skipping appointments
In order to achieve your desired result, the perfect smile, you and your dentist must work together, as a team. Your dentists designed the treatment especially for you and the treatment should produce the desired result in a certain amount of time. However, in cases where your teeth aren’t moving the way they are supposed to, your dentist can make slight adjustments on your braces and put you back on track. This will ensure that your treatment is done in time and that it’s done correctly. So make sure that you stick to your scheduled appointments!
Dentists guidelines
As mentioned in the point above, you and your dentist are a team. Your dentist will provide you the necessary tools and tips and tricks to achieve the desired result. But, ultimately it’s up to you how good the results will be. When wearing braces, avoid chewing on ice, eating sticky candy or hard food that can either bend or break your braces’ wires. If the brackets or wires get damaged, your teeth won’t move and won’t be aligned properly. This can prolong your treatment by many months or even years. Also, make sure that you wear your ortho rubber bands according to your dentist’s instructions. They will produce the right amount of force to keep your teeth moving in the right direction.
Patients with beautiful and confident smiles are every orthodontist’s dream. Working together is key. So if you do have some follow-up questions, make sure that you consult with your dentist.
