Did you know your teeth become more susceptible to cavities and staining when braces are a factor? Keeping your teeth clean around metal braces can be quite a difficult task, yet it’s crucial in maintaining healthy teeth throughout orthodontic treatment. With the right care and regular visits to the dentist, you can fend off tooth decay and keep your teeth free of stains. Don’t let your teeth fall victim to braces and learn how to clean around them with Desoto Family Dental Care.
Here in our Hernando office, the oral health of dental patients is our first concern. We know how important it is to keep teeth clean, as well as how difficult that can be in the presence of braces. What makes cleaning teeth around metal braces so hard is the small spaces and hard-to-reach areas they create in your mouth. With this, it’s important to thoroughly clean around your appliances to maintain the health of your teeth. Take a moment to learn about the trouble braces can cause.
Potential Problems That Arise With Braces
Like we said, traditional braces create many small spaces throughout your mouth that can be difficult to clean. Additionally, food is more likely to remain on your teeth, as it can easily get stuck to brackets and wires. As a result, harmful acids form from sugars and bacteria in your mouth, which causes plaque to build on teeth. This plaque leaves teeth susceptible to decay and wears down tooth enamel, which is why thoroughly brushing and flossing is so essential (though it always is) when you have braces.
Patients should also be aware of the staining that can result from braces. As mentioned, food debris and plaque can remain on teeth longer, which often causes teeth to stain around brackets. This adds to the necessity of cleaning your teeth thoroughly every day. In addition to regular visits to your Desoto dentist, there are a number of ways you can maintain proper oral health with metal braces.
Helpful Tools for Cleaning Around Braces
Fortunately, there are a few tools you can utilize to reach the small spaces your braces create. By using the proper tools, you can effectively remove food debris and plaque from your teeth with ease. Take a look below:
- Proxy Brushes: Proxy brushes are designed to brush between brackets and under wires to remove food debris. They’re also great for bringing on the go.
- Floss Threaders: Flossing is already a difficult task, and braces make it that much harder. Threaders make it easy to feed floss through brackets and wires.
- Water Flosser: A great alternative to flossing, water flossers use a pressurized stream of water to flush out debris from the gaps of your teeth. Water flossers can be very effective.
Don’t Forget Regular Visits to Desoto Family Dental
One of the most important steps in keeping your teeth clean around braces is visiting the dentist regularly for checkups and professional cleanings. While the tools listed above are a great way to fight cavities and staining, the dentist here at Desoto can ensure your teeth are healthy and free of damage.
Contact Desoto Family Dental Care today to schedule an appointment. You can also give us a call at 662.429.5239.