(254) 275-6360Discover some helpful tips for how to keep your teeth and gums healthy with braces.
Many children and teens can benefit from orthodontic treatment. Of course, once your child receives braces, you want to make sure they know how to properly care for their smiles and that they are practicing good oral hygiene throughout the treatment process. From the Allen and McKinney, TX offices of our orthodontists, Dr. Jay Ghosh and Dr. Trent Lofgren, here are some easy ways to keep our smile healthy while sporting braces:
Know What Foods to Avoid
Certain foods can get trapped between brackets or even damage your child’s braces. To prevent that, our orthodontists will give you a list of dietary do’s and don’ts while wearing braces. Some of the foods to steer clear off include:
- Sticky, chewy foods like taffy and gum
- Crushed ice
- Hard candy
- Hard, crusty breads (e.g. pizza crust, baguettes, bagel, etc.)
- Popcorn and nuts
- Chips
- Corn on the cob
Opt for foods that are soft, or can easily be sliced into bite-sized pieces such as
- Pasta
- Soft, crustless breads
- Soups
- Smoothies
- Yogurt
- Eggs
- Sliced fruit
- Pizza (if cut into manageable pieces; avoid the crust)
Clean Your Teeth Throughout the Day
Along with brushing your teeth in the morning and at night, you will also want to bring a travel-sized oral care kit with you so that you can brush your teeth on the go. This is important especially after eating lunch. This kit will allow your child to brush their teeth in the bathroom after lunch or allow you to clean your braces before an important business meeting.
Floss Every Day
You may be wondering how you’re supposed to floss around your braces’ archwires. Well, it’s actually fairly easy. Look for flossers made for braces (like Plackers Orthopick) which makes it easy to floss with braces. You may choose to use a water flosser, which flushes away food and debris from your teeth and gums, but please note that it is NOT a substitute for flossing.
While our office is currently closed due to Covid-19, we are still available to treat braces-related emergencies at our Allen and McKinney, TX offices. Just give Creekview & McKinney Orthodontics a call first at (214) 547-0001 (Allen) or (972) 548-8200 (McKinney).