Care for teeth and gums during dental braces treatment is very important for success of braces treatment. This includes 3 major aspects:
- Tooth brushing
- Following food advisory as per the doctor
- Anti-cavity regime
Tooth brushing
Many patients find it quite difficult to maintain hygiene with braces on, thus leading to dental cavities and gum disease. Special ortho brushes are available in the market, for tooth brushing during braces. Ask your orthodontist about same. Make sure brushing is done after every meal and do not eat after night brushing.
Food Advisory
There are certain food and drinks that patients are advised not to consume during braces period for the purpose of better hygiene and prevention of cavities. These include mostly junk food, sweets like chocolate, candies, caramels, chips, pizza and carbonated drinks like colas etc. While the abovementioned food are sticky and sugary, the drinks are high on sugar as well as acid.
A healthy home cooked diet with fruits and vegetables is advised for nutrition.
Anti-Cavity Regime
It is advisable to recommend anti cavity toothpastes and mouthwashes for home care. Many times, doctors may advise anti cavity varnishes and Pit & Fissure sealants to their patients, which augment immunity to cavities.
Anti-cavity varnishes are gels containing very concentrated fluoride. These are applied with brushes and are kept overnight for best results. These can prevent cavities on the sides of teeth in contact area.
Pit and fissure sealants, also called Anti-cavity sealants are white paints applied on teeth through a no drilling process and can effectively keep cavites away from chewing surfaces.