Thousands of people receive braces every year. Braces are one of the most common and effective devices for straightening crooked and crowded teeth. Patients have the option of choosing either metal or clear plastic braces. Both are very effective when it comes to correcting misaligned teeth. However, once you receive your braces it’s your responsibility to take good care of them. The following tips will hopefully show you how you can maintain your braces and keep them comfortable and clean.
Cleaning and maintaining your braces is very important, but how do you do it? Everyone seems to have their own method of keeping their braces clean. Family Dentist In Grand Island NE will likely recommend a simple toothbrush, to keep your teeth and the areas around your braces free from debris. Using your toothbrush, along with toothpaste, should be enough to keep germs from forming around your brackets. Some people prefer using electric toothbrushes because they’re presumably much more effective at cleaning.
If you’ve never had braces before, you should be prepared to feel very uncomfortable for the first couple of weeks. Anyone who’s had braces before will tell you how uncomfortable they can be. With metal braces, the metal brackets have a tendency to scratch and scrape the insides of your cheeks and lips, which can be very irritating and painful. In order to avoid this from happening, dentists offer dental wax to their patients. The dental wax is applied over each bracket, and acts as a barrier for your inner cheeks and lips. The wax is perfectly healthy and can easily be brushed off and reapplied.
You should still be able to take care of your teeth just as you would without the braces. Flossing tends to be one of the hardest things to do with braces. Some people simply avoid flossing because it’s too complicated. The only thing you need is patience and floss. Focus on flossing in-between your teeth as you normally would. You also want to make it a point to floss around the wires of your braces as well.
When you have braces, it’s important to keep in close contact with your dentist. Seek consultation from Grand Island Dental while you wear your braces.