The dos and don’ts of wearing braces

The thought of getting braces may be scary for some as it is a temporary commitment that you will have to live with daily. Having braces does take some getting used to and may seem uncomfortable at first, but the feeling will pass. To ensure your time with braces and retainers go as smoothly as possible, we have compiled a list of dos and don’ts.

Dos of wearing braces:

Brush at least 3 times a day
Floss at lease once per day
Watch diet, sugar intake, and acid intake
Keep regular check ups with general dentist
Use small rotation motion while brushing (small circles)
Use a fluoride rinse or paste before bed
Brush where gum and tooth meet to avoid plaque build up

Don’ts of wearing braces:

Eat foods that will knock brackets off such as hard, sticky, and crunchy.
Chew gum
Drink pop, sport drinks, and natural juices often
Use vigorous scrubbing
Chew on pens, pencils, ice, or finger nails
Pick at brackets with fingers

Dos of wearing retainers:

Wear you retainer all the time for the first 5-6 months after treatment then nights for life
Clean your retainers daily with either a soft brush and water or denture cleaning tablets
Call if you lose or break your retainers (don’t wait)
If given, keep models in a safe place, they can be used in the future for additional retainers
Keep retainers in case if not in mouth
Keep retainer away from pets or they will get chewed

Don’ts of wearing retainers:

Don’t take retainers out any longer than it takes you to eat, drink anything besides water or brush teeth within the first 5-6 months or teeth will relapse
Eat or drink with retainers in, consume only water while wearing retainers
Expose retainers to extreme temperatures such as boiling water, sunlight, dishwasher, dryer, or microwave
Store retainers in pocket or napkin

The dos and don’ts of wearing braces

Dos of wearing braces:

Don’ts of wearing braces:

Dos of wearing retainers:

Don’ts of wearing retainers:

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Bandeen Orthodontics

Three Rivers Location