Rotary brushes: NOT for our braces

Plaque on teeth from poor brushing!

Gums red and swollen from Plaque!

Public enemy #1:sticky,chewy,sugar

Oral Hygiene

Believe it or not, there is more to good oral hygiene than brushing and flossing your teeth.  The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends you brush your teeth twice daily with an ADA approved fluoride toothpaste and floss your teeth to remove plaque and food particles from between your teeth and under your gum line.  What many of us don’t realize is that good oral health practices are as important as what we put in our mouth.

The ADA recognizes the link between good oral health and good nutrition.  With so many of us, and our children, consuming record numbers of sugar-filled sodas, sweetened fruit drinks, and non-nutritious snack foods, tooth decay is on the rise.  When plaque comes into contact with sugar or starch in the mouth, acid is produced, which attacks the teeth for 20 minutes or more. This can result in white spots of decalcification where the bracket isn't protecting the tooth surface and eventual tooth decay.

Even if you don't care about swollen gums, white marks or cavities,
here's even more Bad News:

The teeth move slower when the gums are red and inflamed from poor brushing.  Here's why;
the cells in the tooth ligament (undifferentiated Leukocytes) are sitting around waiting to get signal to do something. They can become Osteoblasts and Osteoclasts that work hard to help the tooth move OR they can become phagocytes that help the body fight inflammation. So the more cells needed to fight red, swollen gums, the less cells there are to help the teeth move!

Orthodontic Brushing and Flossing Procedures

Brushing (Soft Bristles Only)
Brush after every meal. If you cannot brush right away, rinse well with water.

1. Use a dry brush with a small amount of toothpaste. Place bristles where gums and teeth meet.	2. Use circular, vibrating motions around the gum lines, 10 seconds on each tooth.
3. Brush slowly, each arch separately, every tooth.	4. Brush the lower teeth up and the upper teeth down. Brush your tongue and the roof of your mouth too!

Flossing
Floss nightly after brushing to remove plaque your toothbrush misses. Use a floss threader between gums and braces.

5. Carefully pull unwaxed floss between wire and braces. A floss threader may be helpful.	6. Floss carefully around the braces.
7. Floss carefully around the gum area.	8. Floss carefully around each tooth.

Foods To Avoid

• Ice - the ultimate brace destroyer!
• Foreign objects such as pens, pencils, fingernails, and straws.
• Hard candies such as /Jolly Ranchers, hard peppermints, Blow Pops, etc.
• Sticky chewy candies such as Starburst, Now-N-Later, Tootsie Roll, Skittles, etc.
• Chewy snacks such as Power Bars, Rice Krispy treats.
• Tough breads such as thick pizza crust, bagels, hard rolls, etc.
• Hard snacks such as Fritos, pretzels, etc.
• Thick or hard tortilla chips, nuts, etc.
• Popcorn… the hulls get under your braces and cause gum infections
• Sugary drinks.
• Carbonated soft drinks, which can cause enamel staining and cavities.

Foods To Enjoy

• Apples, carrots, celery are good for you, but they should be cut into bit sized pieces and eaten with care.
• Soft candies such as chocolate, Kit Kat bars, Three Musketeers, etc.
• Ice cream and frozen yogurt.

Remember: use your common sense when deciding which foods you can eat and those to be avoided. If a band or bracket comes loose, please call and let us know, as it is not always possible to repair appliances at your regular appointment without prior warning.