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Oral Hygiene
Discover The Greatest Oral Hygiene Principle in the World!
You’re in control. The only time food should be in your mouth is while you are eating it!
At body temperature, microbial fermentation of food debris left in the mouth between meals and snacks produces acid and sulfides. The acid damages your teeth and gums; the sulfides cause bad breath. Food debris left in the mouth after meals and snacks must be promptly removed.
Home Dental Care
Clean only the teeth you want to keep! Braces are natural food traps. Extra effort is required to avoid damage to your teeth and gums.
Oral hygiene – A hands-on approach:
- Maintain a well-balanced, soft-textured diet free of hard, sticky, acidic and high sugar foods.
- Thoroughly clean your teeth, braces, and appliances after meals and snacks.
- Remove food debris with a Water Pic or other oral irrigation device.
- Remove plaque with toothbrush bristles, dental floss, and other mechanical aids. A Water Pic will not remove plaque.
- Determine cleanliness by careful visual examination under good lighting.
- Floss at least once daily. Use a floss threader to pass floss under your arch wire.
- Thoroughly brush and floss after your last snack or meal of the day. Then rinse with a supplemental fluoride - your mouth will remain clean until breakfast.
- Clean your teeth and appliances before orthodontic appointments - otherwise, visibility is obscured. Early decalcification or damage to your teeth may not be seen.
General Dental Care
Clean teeth move faster!
General dental care – The protection you deserve:
- Obtain a thorough dental examination and professional tooth cleaning before we place braces on your teeth.
- Follow your general dentist’s guidelines for periodic dental examinations, cleanings, and fluoride treatments.
- Remain under the periodontal supervision of your general dentist or periodontist throughout treatment. This is of added importance for adult patients and those with pre-existing gum disease or loss of bone support for the teeth.
Foods, Beverages, and Pernicious Oral Habits
Maintain a well-balanced, soft-textured diet free of hard, sticky, acidic and high sugar foods.
- Hard and sticky foods cause mechanical damage to your braces and appliances.
- Acid produced during the fermentation of sugar encourages gum inflammation and tooth decay.
No excuses - Foods to avoid:
- Chewy foods: licorice, hard rolls, and bagels
- Crunchy foods: popcorn, ice, and chips
- Sticky foods: taffy and caramels
- Hard foods: nuts and candy
- foods you have to bite into with the front teeth: corn on the cob, apples, and carrots
- Candies: Sweet Tarts, Jolly Rancher candies, and peanut brittle
- Acid and sugar-containing beverages: colas, fruit and vegetable juices
Enjoy all the rest!
Common sense - Don't chew gum, tobacco, or hard objects!
- Pens, pencils, and fingernails can damage your braces.
- Chewing gum causes repetitive stress on your braces or appliances.
- Damage to your braces will increase treatment time.
Appliance Management and Elastic Wear
- The success of your treatment depends upon your care and wear of your appliances.
- Elastics may be used to apply light, continuous force to move your teeth. Occasional or intermittent elastic wear will not move teeth.
What Should I Expect After Getting a New Appliance or Braces?
- You may experience temporary tenderness of your teeth and gums, increased salivation, and difficulty swallowing, speaking, and eating. Tylenol, aspirin, or other over-the-counter analgesics are seldom needed.
- You may notice slight mobility of your teeth as they move. After correction, your teeth will tighten in their new, corrected positions.
- Appliances, arch wires, brackets, and bands may break or loosen; Call us without delay. Describe your problem and we’ll schedule a prompt appointment for adjustment or repair. Save and bring any loose pieces of your appliance to this appointment.
- When elastics are first worn, your teeth might become tender. Tenderness will subside as teeth begin to move.
Athletic Activities and Musical Instruments
- Please call us at (248) 282-7298 regarding the advisability of appliance wear during athletic participation, swimming, and playing of musical instruments
- Consult your athletic supervisor for special precautions.