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braces care | Wayne Family Orthodontics

Dental Hygiene for Those With Braces

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You’re on your way to a straighter, healthier smile. Your braces have been placed and your orthodontic treatment has begun. You may be aware that cleaning your teeth while wearing braces can be more difficult. Dr. Muhammad Abey and our team are happy to give you tips on proper dental hygiene while wearing braces.

Brushing Teeth
Brush your teeth twice each day, for at least two minutes each time. Choose either a manual or electric toothbrush with soft bristles and a small head. Before you brush your teeth, be sure to remove any elastics. Brush back and forth and then brush toward the biting surface of the teeth. Take care to brush the top and bottom of each bracket as well as the front of the brackets and wires. You may find it helpful to hold back your lip while you brush your brackets. As you brush your teeth, be sure to clean each surface of the teeth.

Flossing
In order to properly care for your teeth, it is important that you floss your teeth at least once every day. Flossing while wearing braces can prove challenging at first. We recommend using a floss threader to aid you in properly cleaning between your teeth. Floss threaders can help you get the dental floss beneath or over the wires so that you can clean your teeth beneath the gumline.

Contact Wayne Family Orthodontics at 973-341-3180 today to learn more about braces in Wayne, New Jersey, and to schedule a visit with our orthodontist.

Proper Dental Hygiene With Braces

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If you have crooked or crowded teeth, Dr. Muhammad Abey may recommend braces in Wayne, New Jersey. Getting braces requires dedication on your part. Caring for your teeth while wearing braces will take a little more time, but the results are well worth the effort.

Brushing Your Teeth With Braces
Brush your teeth with a soft-bristled toothbrush using a gentle, circular motion. Brush down from the top of the teeth and then up from the bottom. Tilt your toothbrush 45 degrees to brush the tops and bottoms of your brackets. Then brush between your brackets using a proxabrush, which is shaped like a miniature Christmas tree. Insert the brush between the arch wire and the teeth and brush with upward and downward strokes. Repeat until you have cleaned between all of your brackets.

Floss Your Teeth With Braces
Dental hygiene is a little more involved while wearing braces. To floss, work the short end of your floss through the space between the upper part of the tooth and the arch wire. Then use a sawing motion to gently work the floss between the teeth. Be very careful around the arch wires.

Avoid These Foods While Wearing Braces
For those wearing braces, most foods can be eaten as long as they are cut into small pieces that can be easily chewed. However, some foods can damage braces and should be avoided, including:

– Hard foods that are hard to bite
– Chewy foods
– Corn on the cob
– Popcorn, nuts, carrots, and hard pretzels

Do not chew ice or bubble gum with braces.

We invite you to contact Wayne Family Orthodontics at 973-341-3180 today to learn more about braces and to schedule your next visit with our orthodontist.

How to Care for Teeth with Braces

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Orthodontics is used to straighten the teeth and correct the bite. This can improve not only the appearance of your smile, but the health as well. Now that you are undergoing orthodontic treatment, there are some things you should know about caring for your teeth and braces.

Dental Hygiene with Braces
Dental hygiene is a little more complex while wearing braces. When flossing, work the short end of your floss through the space between the upper part of the tooth and the arch wire. Then use a sawing motion to gently work the floss between the teeth.

When brushing, use a soft-bristled brush. Brush both up from the bottom and down from the top of each tooth. After this, brush with a proxabrush, which is designed to clean between the brackets. Insert the brush both from the bottom up and from the top down between each bracket.

Avoid These Foods
While wearing braces, there are certain foods that you should avoid, as they can break or loosen the brackets. These include:

– Tough-to-bite or hard foods
– Chewy food
– Hard pretzels, carrots, nuts, and popcorn
– Corn on the cob

If you have any questions for Dr. Muhammad Abey and our team or if you would like to set up an appointment, feel free to contact Wayne Family Orthodontics at 973-341-3180 today. Our orthodontist and team in Wayne, New Jersey, are excited to get to know you.