OC Smile, Promoting & Maintaining Dental Health & Hygiene in Southern California
At OC Smile Dental & Orthodontics, we advise patients to start a preventative dental care regimen as soon as possible in life. The easiest way to deal with a dental issue is to avoid one altogether by practicing good oral hygiene. It entails using a circular motion when brushing and flossing two to three times daily. We advise spending two minutes or more brushing your teeth. Give timing a shot. You could not be brushing for nearly long enough. The best practice, as we frequently state, is preventive.
When it comes to keeping their braces, teeth, and gums clean, patients who are wearing braces need to be more diligent. You may preserve healthy teeth and a gorgeous smile for the rest of your life by adhering to our orthodontist’s oral hygiene recommendations and avoiding specific foods. The plaque is against you. Plaque can cause cavities, inflamed gums, foul breath, scarred and discolored teeth, and even swollen gums surrounding braces. The following are some top tips for keeping your mouth healthy while wearing braces:
- Have your teeth professionally cleaned every 3 months during orthodontic treatment
- Avoid sugary foods and other items as directed by your orthodontist
- Brush and floss regularly
Caring for your Retainer
Like your teeth, retainers also collect food particles, bacteria, and plaque. Every day, you should clean your retainer. When it’s not in your mouth, keep your retainer submerged in water. Rinse it with mouthwash to keep it clean and odor-free. Keep your retainer out of the heat; if it becomes too dry or hot, the plastic may shatter. Avoid flipping your retainer in your mouth, which might bend the wires.
Foods to Avoid
Patients should avoid foods that are sticky, hard or chewy. They should also avoid any food and drink that are known to cause cavities. Patients should brush, floss and rinse their mouth regularly between meals.
These foods are known to cause breakage of orthodontic appliances and are examples of what NOT to eat:
- Gum
- Beef Jerkey
- Nuts
- Hard or sticky candy
- Corn Chips
- Crispy taco shells
- Whole apples
- Celery
- Caramel
- Taffy
- Popcorn
- Soft Drinks
- Candy Bars
Brushing with Braces
Your teeth may progressively change color over time from white to yellow. Your diet, smoking, or the natural aging process alone could all contribute to the yellowing process. People generally equate having shining white teeth with looking younger because when a child’s teeth first “erupt,” or come in, they are a brilliant white color.
Ask about our teeth whitening services when you visit OC Smile if you want to restore your pearly white smile. While various over-the-counter teeth whitening treatments are available in the area’s drugstores, professional teeth whitening at Smile Wide is a better choice. Our treatments include:
Flossing with Braces
It could take a few minutes to get the hang of flossing while wearing braces because it’s a little tricky. Nonetheless, keep trying since flossing is crucial to the health of your teeth.
Water Jets
Plaque and dirt caught deep between the teeth and around braces can be removed with the help of the water jet. Remaining food particles are removed by the water jet’s pulsing stream of water. It is advised to disinfect the water by adding an antibiotic dental rinse. After your usual dental care regimen of brushing and flossing, use the water jet.
Interdental Brushes
The interdental brush is especially good in cleaning the tooth surface next to the braces.
Rinsing
To minimize minor gum inflammation and irritation that could result from orthodontic treatment, an antiseptic tooth rinse should be taken after every meal (at least four times a day). By eliminating harmful bacteria and replacing minerals in tooth enamel that have been lost due to exposure to toxic acids, a fluoride rinse may help prevent tooth decay. Brushing is still necessary after rinsing. Following tooth cleaning and flossing, you should rinse.
Life with Braces
Your braces will be placed on your teeth fast and effortlessly, but it will take a full day for the bands to fully affix. After obtaining braces, it’s a good idea to wait a few hours before eating solid meals. Over the first few days while you get used to eating with your new braces, you might find it easier to eat soft foods.
Comfort Concerns
The teeth may initially feel painful or sensitive to pressure, and wearing braces may seem a little odd. This is quite normal and will pass quickly. The braces may appear to be “sticking out,” but this feeling will soon fade. If the brackets hurt the cheek tissues, little pieces of orthodontic wax may be utilized. Call us if you need additional wax because we always have extra in our office.
The soreness that many patients initially experience will subside within the first few days or even hours of getting braces. The tenderness cannot be expected to end at a specific time. In order to ease their suffering on the first day of therapy, some patients decide to take over-the-counter painkillers. Take the drugs before your appointment to achieve the best outcome.
Smile Steps for Kids
6 steps to Super Smiles: Dental Care for School Age Children
It is very important for parents to be involved in their child’s dental hygiene routine. Establish a healthy diet, daily tooth brushing and flossing as well as regular dental visits. Steps taken now will help build a lifetime of good oral health habits, so help by supervising your child’s brushing and flossing.
Use toothpaste with fluoride to prevent tooth decay and cure cavities in their early staged. Our pediatric dentist can advise parents of fluoride supplement sources if needed and the age to begin fluoridated toothpaste.
Most cavities occur in places that a sealant could have protected. By sealing surfaces at risk, cavities and tooth decay in children and teens can be drastically reduced. The teeth at most risk of decay and therefore most in need of sealants are the six-year and twelve-year permanent molars.
Wearing a mouthguard when playing a sport protects the teeth and can reduce the force of a blow that can cause concussions, neck injuries and jaw fractures.
It is essential for your child to receive an on-going oral health assessment by our pediatric dentist. Your child may need additional fluoride, sealants or dietary modifications. Regular visits will also help children stay cavity free by removing plaque build-up on the teeth.
Healthy snacking in moderation plays an important role in oral health. Snacking should be limited to no more than three or four times a day. Encourage nutritious choices such as cheese, vegetables and yogurt.
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