5 Tips for People With Braces

Getting braces is a big commitment! In both time and money. Therefore, it is well worth your time and effort to do everything you can to help your Denver orthodontist, at Primary Dental, achieve the best outcome hoped for. You will have regularly scheduled visits to the orthodontist during your treatment for adjustments and progress monitoring. You can do several things to help get the most out of your treatment.

1- MAKE SURE YOU VISIT THE DENTIST REGULARLY

An orthodontist is a specialist in dentistry. This means that the orthodontist only deals with braces and does not check for any other oral problems. Your regular dentist is your primary oral health care provider and should be seen regularly. Six-month exams will check for decay or gum disease, check existing restorations, and address any problems before they worsen.

2- HAVE REGULAR DENTAL CLEANINGS

It is nearly impossible to completely remove all of the plaque, stains, and tartar that accumulate when you have brackets and wires on your teeth. If this buildup is allowed to remain on your teeth, it can cause gingivitis and can demineralize your teeth, especially around the brackets where most of the plaque builds up. A professional cleaning will remove this plaque and tartar much more thoroughly than you can do alone at home.
While your braces are on, it is worth scheduling that professional cleaning with your hygienist every 3 months.

3- STAY ON TOP OF YOUR ORAL HYGIENE

Unhealthy teeth and gums can slow down your orthodontic treatment. Poor oral hygiene can cause infection, which will slow down the movement of your teeth. Swollen and infected gum tissues will inhibit your orthodontist’s ability to work on you. If the infection in your gums becomes too severe, removing the brackets and getting the infection under control may be necessary before continuing with orthodontic treatment. Taking the time to brush and floss your teeth daily is essential for proper orthodontic treatment. Different tools can help with flossing, which can be quite challenging to accomplish with braces on your teeth.

4- MAKE SURE TO GO TO EVERY SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT

Orthodontic treatment is a partnership between you and your orthodontist. Your orthodontist designs a treatment plan with a time frame in mind. The orthodontist will make any adjustments needed to keep your treatment moving forward at each appointment. If you miss your scheduled appointments, these adjustments will be delayed until the next appointment. This will also delay and can affect the final results of your treatment. Part of your treatment plan is the assumption that you will be at each scheduled appointment.

5- FOLLOW YOUR ORTHODONTIST’S INSTRUCTIONS

Chewing and eating hard or sticky foods can cause your wires to bend and your brackets to break off your teeth. If your wires and brackets are always broken, your teeth will not move. This will delay your treatment. It will also add unexpected time to your appointments as the orthodontist must repair the damage. It is also essential to wear the rubber bands, or elastics, as instructed. The elastics provide the right forces required to move your teeth in a certain way. This is part of your treatment; if you do not wear them as instructed, you will prolong it.

As stated at the beginning of this article, braces are a big commitment. But the results are worth it. Contact Primary Dental to schedule a consultation.

Tips From Primary Dental Your Braces Specialists