How to care for your braces

We want your treatment at Trinity House Orthodontics to go as smoothly as possible. In order to achieve a swift and effective treatment, it’s important to take care of your braces properly. Here are our top tips to help you sail through your treatment.

Brush your teeth regularly

To maintain good oral hygiene while wearing braces, brush your teeth after every meal or snack using fluoride-based toothpaste. We recommend taking a toothbrush with you when you’re going to be out and about.

Brushing your teeth regularly will help you avoid decalcification, which is a permanent stain on your teeth caused by plaque acids and food. This can happen during any orthodontic treatment, but especially when fixed appliances are involved.

Avoid decalcification

If you’re worried about decalcification, don’t be! You can avoid it by following these tips:

Brush for three to five minutes with a large-headed toothbrush. Clean your gum-line by using short, fast and firm forward and backward strokes. Avoid brushing directly against your braces.
Next, use an interspace toothbrush to reach all the areas missed by the large-headed brush. Brush firmly and make sure that the bristles reach every corner of the bracket, wire and gum line.
Use fluoride mouthwash after brushing and before going to bed to strengthen your teeth.

You can also ask Dr Schuth what type of electric toothbrush would be best for you if that’s more your style. Some electric toothbrushes come with orthodontic appliances that make it easier to clean your brace.

Use disclosing tablets

Disclosing tablets reveal the areas of your mouth where food and plaque accumulate. To use one, place the tablet in your mouth and chew it thoroughly. Next, spread the resulting red stain all over your teeth and gums using your tongue.

When you’ve covered everything evenly, spit and rinse your mouth with water. You will notice red stains covering some areas of your mouth - these require a more thorough brushing. We recommend using a disclosing tablet three times a week to ensure proper oral hygiene.

Foods to avoid while wearing braces

Calling all foodies! We have some good news. You won’t need to change your diet as much as you might think during treatment with braces. Certain foods, however, can pose problems for your appliance. We recommend avoiding the following:

Hard foods, such as nuts, ice and some fruits and veg. If you want to eat hard fruits, veg, meat or sandwiches, cut them into bite-size pieces.
Sticky foods, such as toffee or bubble gum. These can dislodge your appliance, and are best avoided.
Foods with high sugar content, like sweets, chocolate and fizzy drinks. These foods can damage the enamel of your teeth and lead to decalcification or cavities.