Making dental hygiene a priority is essential to keeping your teeth healthy, especially upon starting orthodontic treatment. At Kovacs Orthodontics, straightening your teeth with lifetime results is our incredible team’s specialty. Following these tips on maintaining good oral health with orthodontic treatment will help you achieve the smile you deserve!
Caring For Your Dental Well-Being
Maintaining your oral health plays a significant role in ensuring your orthodontic care is successful and finishes according to schedule. Each of the various treatments we offer helps to establish a healthy foundation for your teeth and protect them for years to come.
Taking the appropriate steps, such as brushing, flossing, attending your check-ups, and being mindful of your diet, all help to prevent disease and keep your teeth in excellent condition. Bearing in mind these best practices will set you up for success!
Prioritize Your Scheduled Check-Ups
During your check-up appointments, Dr. Kovacs is able to monitor your teeth movement progress and decide on whether an adjustment is necessary at the time. If too much time passes after your next scheduled appointment, you risk your teeth moving in the wrong direction, which will then take longer to set them back on the right path. Depending on your appliance, your check-ins may be scheduled with more time in between, which makes it even more of a priority for you to attend.
Our team appreciates that sometimes things happen out of your control and prevent you from making your appointment. One missed date is not the end of the world. Please give us a call as soon as you are able so we can help you reschedule it to the next best available date.
Be Mindful Of Your Eating Habits
Remember to be conscious of your food choices once you start orthodontic treatment. Crooked teeth allow for more places for small food particles to hide and fester. Our team will be able to point out specific areas of your teeth to make a point to clean if they are likely to trap leftovers in hidden areas.
Safe Foods
Eggs, pasta, soft veggies, well-cooked meat, and similar foods are great for providing your body with the nutrition it needs, as well as ensuring your teeth stay healthy. We recommend anything easy to chew, such as softer, healthier foods that do not place excessive pressure on your appliance. Luckily, there are plenty of delicious things, so don’t worry about options!
What To Avoid
As strong as your appliance is, some foods are strictly off-limits to protect you from emergencies and prevent you from developing future complications. Anything too crunchy, sticky, or hard, such as crunchy vegetables, pizza crust, gummies, and more, is best to stay away from during treatment. Small pieces of these foods can stick to your appliance and lead to potential tooth decay.
We will also be happy to provide a complete list of friendly and unfriendly braces foods, so you have a better idea of what to eat while out of the office.
The Importance of Brushing Your Teeth
In addition to brushing your teeth in the morning and night, orthodontic treatment requires the extra effort of cleaning after each meal as well. If small pieces of food get stuck in your appliance, the longer they stay there, the more harmful they can be.
Best Practice Techniques
At a 45-degree angle, move your toothbrush in a circular motion over each surface of your teeth, beginning at the gum line. Continue doing so to each area of your mouth for about five minutes total. Remember to reach your gums, tongue, and upper jaw to avoid bad breath.
If your appliance has wires, such as clear or metal braces, the abrasiveness from adequately brushing your teeth may split apart the bristles and cause you to replace them more often than not. Check on it now and then as you brush your teeth, and keep an extra handy so you can be sure to brush effectively each day.
Using The Right Tools
Fluoride Toothpaste – Helps prevent bacteria and plaque build-up, maximizing your benefits and protecting you against threats.
Soft-Bristled Toothbrush – Ensures effective cleaning and is easy on both your appliance and your gums in the process
Don’t Forget To Floss
While flossing after every meal is not essential like you have to when it comes to brushing your teeth, we recommend flossing at least once a day to rid your mouth of the bacteria and plaque buildup a toothbrush is unable to reach. While it proves to be much harder to do so correctly with wires in the way, Kovacs Orthodontics will provide you with special floss threaders to get to hard-to-reach areas. It will help the floss slide easily between your teeth without snagging on your appliance.
Be Prepared For The Unexpected
While true orthodontic emergencies are rare, our team believes it is essential to be ready for the unexpected. Common emergencies include a broken bracket, toothaches, and loose wires. Soon after applying your braces, Dr. Kovacs will cover simple at-home remedies you can rely on to fix the issue temporarily.
Should you experience anything similar, your first step is to remain calm. Please don’t hesitate to call our office so we can do what we can to assist you and schedule an emergency appointment if necessary. You can rely on each of our team members to know exactly how to help and get you back on track in your smile journey.
Stay On The Healthy Path To A Straight Smile
Kovacs Orthodontics is passionate about preparing our patients as thoroughly as possible to ensure a worry-free treatment experience. Our team is here to support your oral health journey and make sure your orthodontic journey goes according to plan. We are proud to serve Billings, Miles City, and the surrounding communities to meet their dental needs. Contact either of our offices to schedule your free consultation today!