The braces installed by your Fourth Dimension Orthodontics & Craniofacial Orthopedics orthodontist will effectively realign your teeth for a healthier mouth and a winning smile. At the same time, if any part of your braces is damaged, or you develop cavities on multiple teeth, it will likely increase the amount of time needed to achieve your ideal smile. Keeping in mind a few daily care and cleaning considerations, you can enjoy your new smile, in the shortest amount of time possible.

Certain foods and activities pose a threat to your braces. Eating sticky foods and chewing gum can easily bend wires, loosen brackets and pull spacers out of place. You also need to be mindful of biting off and chewing hard foods as this can also cause significant damage. This includes bad habits like nibbling pencils, pens or crunching on ice.

If a piece of hardware is damaged and a sharp point is threatening your cheek or gums, you should secure it inside the orthodontic wax you were given. If you don’t immediately have it on hand, you can improvise with a pencil eraser. You should then contact us immediately to have the problem repaired.

Maintaining your daily oral hygiene routine is very important for preventing cavities and gum disease. If you have trouble cleaning around the braces or flossing the spaces between your teeth, you might want to try using interdental brushes or a floss threader loaded with waxed dental floss.

If you have questions about the best way to clean and maintain your braces every day, you can always call Fourth Dimension Orthodontics & Craniofacial Orthopedics’s Allen and Dallas, Texas, clinics to ask a question. Our Dallas office can be reached at 972-947-2000 and our Allen office at 972-947-2200.