Dr. Kanani and his team understands that it can take a little time to get used to wearing braces. To help make your adjustment to braces a little easier here are a few tips for living with braces.
What to Expect From Life with Braces
Throughout your orthodontic treatment, your mouth is going to go through a lot of physical changes. You will be living with your braces for a number of months as your teeth move towards their new positions, so it's important to understand right from the beginning, how to care for your teeth and what to expect from your braces treatment.
Adjusting to Eating With Braces
Having braces doesn't necessarily mean that you need to stop eating all of the foods you love, but you will need to exercise a little caution when choosing what to eat and how to eat it. If you're careful, and keep a few limitations in mind, you'll be able to eat many of the foods you love without hurting your teeth or damaging your brackets and wires.
Good Oral Hygiene with Braces
Brushing and flossing regularly will be more important than ever while you have braces. So, whether you prefer a manual toothbrush or electric toothbrush be sure to clean your teeth at least twice daily, and floss at least once a day to keep your teeth and gums healthy.
Caring for your Braces or Dental Appliance
Caring for you braces or dental appliance is important for keeping your treatment on-track. Be sure to clean your teeth and braces properly every day. If your orthodontic treatment includes a removable appliance, take the time to clean your appliance twice a day whenever you clean your teeth. By soaking your appliance in denture cleaner regularly, you can help to keep it free from bacteria and plaque but remember that soaking does not replace the need for cleaning your appliance properly!
Retainer & Expander Instructions
Understanding how to clean and care for your expander or retainer is essential to keeping it functioning properly and getting the best results possible from your treatment. HERE is more information on how to keep your expander or retainer in tip-top condition.
The Importance of Athletic Mouth Guards
If you play sports, it's important wear an athletic/sports mouth guard to protect your teeth and braces. There's absolutely no reason to let braces stop you from enjoying sports just remember to care for your smile! Wearing a sports mouth guard can help to protect your braces and your teeth.
