The perfect smile and straight teeth are a winning combination: you are more confident with your smile, and your teeth are easier to keep clean. However, if you are one of many who need braces to achieve this, the brackets and wires create temporary oral hygiene challenges. We are going to review helpful tips and advice to care for your teeth with braces.

• Brush after you eat.  Keep a soft, round-bristle toothbrush with you and brush after every meal or snack. Clean between your teeth with interdental brushes. If you are snacking on the go and don’t have a toothbrush with you, swish your mouth with water. This helps to remove food particles.
• Brush at the gum line and below the brackets. Brush at a 45-degree angle with bristles pointed toward your gum line, then brush the top and bottom brackets.
• Floss at least once daily. Please use the floss threaders or Platypus flossers to get behind the wire.
• Water flossers are also great to help remove food debris; however, they do not take the place of regular dental floss.
• Visit your Orthodontist and do not skip appointments. Make sure to see your orthodontist and keep your appointments. Catching any developing conditions early on is key to caring for your teeth.

And of course, eat healthy foods! Sugary foods can get stuck in your brackets, and are more likely to cause tooth decay. Avoiding the following foods as they can lead to damaging your braces:

• Popcorn
• Jellybeans
• Taffy
• Nuts
• Gum
• Hard candy
• Caramel
• Soda and Gatorade

Braces can be uncomfortable when you first get them, so practicing good oral hygiene at first can seem challenging. Be patient, as most of the discomfort goes away, and like anything new, when you do it enough, it becomes part of your routine. Before you know it, you’ll get your braces removed and you can show off that winning smile.