“How do you prevent cavities while having braces?”
I am a 16 year old male. I want to know how do you prevent cavities while having braces?
4 Answers
30secondsmile.com and frequent visits to your dentist
Hello!
It is very easy to prevent cavities and decalcification (white spot lesions) from occurring during braces as long as you follow a few simple rules. Brush your teeth at least 3 times a day with a fluoride toothpaste. When you brush, please remember to brush the portion of the tooth below the braces as well as the portion of your teeth above the braces near the gums. Many patients do not like to brush above the braces and near the gums because it sometimes hurts. If you do not brush above the brace, your gums can become extremely swollen and they may bleed a lot. If this happens, you must gently brush them a few times a day to get rid of the swelling. When you brush them your gums will bleed. This is a good thing because it is
helping to rid the swelling. In addition, you should use floss threaders to floss, proxy brushes to get under the wires and a mouthwash to rid even more bacteria. If you begin to get decalcification, you can ask your orthodontist to prescribe you Prevident, a toothpaste with extra fluoride to help with this.
Good luck, and keep your teeth clean, they are yours for the rest of your life!
It is very easy to prevent cavities and decalcification (white spot lesions) from occurring during braces as long as you follow a few simple rules. Brush your teeth at least 3 times a day with a fluoride toothpaste. When you brush, please remember to brush the portion of the tooth below the braces as well as the portion of your teeth above the braces near the gums. Many patients do not like to brush above the braces and near the gums because it sometimes hurts. If you do not brush above the brace, your gums can become extremely swollen and they may bleed a lot. If this happens, you must gently brush them a few times a day to get rid of the swelling. When you brush them your gums will bleed. This is a good thing because it is
helping to rid the swelling. In addition, you should use floss threaders to floss, proxy brushes to get under the wires and a mouthwash to rid even more bacteria. If you begin to get decalcification, you can ask your orthodontist to prescribe you Prevident, a toothpaste with extra fluoride to help with this.
Good luck, and keep your teeth clean, they are yours for the rest of your life!
Brush and floss as directed by your dentist.
The best ways to prevent cavities while having braces is to keep your teeth clean and free from food or beverages (which are not pure water). You may need to brush for longer periods of time before bedtime, and then either floss or "Waterpik" after brushing at night. ("Waterpik" is almost a super-favorite of most of my patients, because of the ease of use [compared to flossing] and effectiveness for after-brushing cleaning, between teeth, and around gums. It is also NOT very expensive; good to use for 2 or more people in the family for a long time!*)
Getting all the corners and hiding-spots clean and free from those sticky "plaque" or bacteria-family glues can take some time and practice (with brushing), but it is easy enough to do once you get the basic techniques (definitely not rocket science). Flossing and Waterpik cannot replace brushing, but are recommended for between-teeth and around-gums (& around-brackets) cleaning because brushes cannot get those areas well, which is even more important while having braces. Daily eating and drinking habits can make some people more cavity-prone as well: if you can reduce the lengths of time that beverages or food are in contact with your teeth, meaning eating less snacks between meals AND drink only water (and not sipping beverages) between meals, brush and floss as often as you can (especially do a super-cleaning before bedtime), you will be more on-track preventing cavities while having braces. These apply to most people in general, but you may have more specific situations with your teeth that require special areas of attention. Please contact your Orthodontic provider regarding your specific situations.
(*I am not affiliated with “Waterpik” in any shape or form.)
Getting all the corners and hiding-spots clean and free from those sticky "plaque" or bacteria-family glues can take some time and practice (with brushing), but it is easy enough to do once you get the basic techniques (definitely not rocket science). Flossing and Waterpik cannot replace brushing, but are recommended for between-teeth and around-gums (& around-brackets) cleaning because brushes cannot get those areas well, which is even more important while having braces. Daily eating and drinking habits can make some people more cavity-prone as well: if you can reduce the lengths of time that beverages or food are in contact with your teeth, meaning eating less snacks between meals AND drink only water (and not sipping beverages) between meals, brush and floss as often as you can (especially do a super-cleaning before bedtime), you will be more on-track preventing cavities while having braces. These apply to most people in general, but you may have more specific situations with your teeth that require special areas of attention. Please contact your Orthodontic provider regarding your specific situations.
(*I am not affiliated with “Waterpik” in any shape or form.)
