Caring for Braces

Taking great care of your braces is an important part of orthodontic treatment. At Safari Children’s Dentistry and Braces, we strive to make each of our patients’ journey to a straighter smile as easy and streamlined as possible. This includes helping keep their smile healthy. By following a few simple steps every day, your child can avoid potential issues with their metal braces like broken brackets, tooth decay, and discoloration.

1. Remove Elastics Before Brushing and Eating

If wearing elastics is part of your child’s treatment plan, it’s crucial that they be worn as often as directed. Otherwise, your child may end up wearing braces for longer than what was originally estimated. However, elastics do need to be removed any time the patient is brushing their teeth or eating for safety and effectiveness, as they interfere with movement and can easily snap.

2. Brush Your Teeth & Braces In the Morning, After Eating, and Before Bed

When teeth have brackets and wires, cleaning them thoroughly becomes a little more difficult but also much more important. Food particles and bacteria can become trapped, increasing your risk of bad breath, decay, and staining. An electric toothbrush and interdental brush can be particularly helpful to remove debris from braces. Brush your teeth when you wake up, after meals and snacks, and before going to bed. Remember to brush your tongue too!

3. Floss Daily

At times flossing may feel almost impossible with braces, but it can and should be done frequently. Use a floss threader to thread floss behind the wires that connect their brackets. If your child is struggling to use traditional floss or doesn’t want to use it, a water flosser is another great tool!

4. Avoid Sticky and Chewy Foods

Avoiding certain foods will protect your braces from damage and make cleaning teeth and braces much easier. Cutting out crunchy and sticky snacks will reduce your child’s risk of breaking a bracket or loosening a wire, which can be inconvenient and painful. We recommend avoiding gum, hard candy, caramel, popcorn, and taffy, and cutting up apples and carrots into small pieces and chewing them with the back teeth.

To learn more about how to care for braces or how our team at Safari Children’s Dentistry & Braces can meet your child’s oral healthcare needs, please contact us!