Braces can be a pain – literally and figuratively. But they will undoubtedly be worth it if you come out the other side with that symmetrical smile that you want! Here’s how to ensure that your braces do their job and that the result is worth the trouble.
Practice Good Dental Hygiene
Braces, retainers, or other dental equipment that people need for oral correction are all going to come with certain instructions regarding how to keep them clean and functioning. Proper dental hygiene will probably be even more inconvenient with braces, unfortunately. Simply brushing your teeth along will probably not do the trick – although you will still need to brush.
Most likely, your dentist will give you specific instruments that are designed to help with cleaning. You might even end up buying a Waterpik – which uses a small but high-powered jet stream of water to clean hard-to-reach spots between your teeth and braces. Properly maintained hygiene will result in clean braces that will help your teeth.
Be Careful What You Eat
Your dentist will also probably give you a thorough list of instructions on what is both permitted and prohibited to eat. It is imperative that you follow these instructions, no matter how strong the temptation may be to do otherwise. Some kinds of foods can be very difficult to clean and can result in a buildup of plaque and tartar in those hard-to-reach spots.
Sticky and sugary foods are some of the worst for your braces since they engender such acidic destruction of your teeth’s enamel faster than anything else. After all, what is the point of having straightened teeth if they’re all rotten?
Follow Maintenance Instructions
Beyond cleaning and eating correctly, the final piece of the puzzle comes down to following the dentist’s instructions when it comes to actually using the braces or corrective gear. For example, retainers and Invisalign are easy to slip in and out of your mouth. If you’re not disciplined, you could go without your retainer far longer than you should, setting your progress back by quite a bit. With braces, you need to make sure to put in and take out the rubber bands at the right times.
Your braces may not have rubber bands – especially since modern dental corrective technology is constantly advancing. But whatever your equivalent, you need to take care of it. Make sure to follow everything the dentist says with care, and patience, you’ll get those magical results.
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