7 Tips to Take Care for Your Teeth After Wearing Braces

Practicing good oral hygiene is always a must. However, when you wear braces, it’s taken to a whole new level. You might have considered braces, because you want that perfectly straight smile. If you don’t take extra care of your teeth during and after wearing them, you could end up with stains, white spots or even tooth decay.

The new six months braces service is highly preferred by people who want to improve the appearance of their smile fast. But what do we do after they are taken off, in order to avoid any disadvantages?

To make sure you achieve the desired result and keep it after wearing braces, you might like to have a look at these tips by a leading cosmetic dentist in Albuquerque on how to take care of your teeth after straightening them. 

Brushing is Key

You might’ve heard it a thousand times, but brushing really is that important. Furthermore, if you had braces, your brushing routine probably needed certain changes. Food may stick in all the nooks and crannies of braces. With that said if you haven’t brushed properly while still wearing them, your teeth are more likely to have white spots afterward. 

In order to avoid these, you should brush your teeth more often than regular. Most likely after every meal or at least three times a day. Also don’t forget to replace your toothbrush as well, as it wears off faster with braces. In fact, an electric toothbrush is best for when you have braces and after that, for not having any white spots.

Whitening Toothpaste

Whitening toothpastes are not recommended while you still wear braces. If you are using one you will whiten your entire tooth surface, except the small place where the bracket is placed. This results in small squares on your teeth that aren’t whitened, after you have your braces taken off. 

These will usually take some time to even out, so just leave the whitening toothpaste for when you don’t have braces anymore.

Never Forget to Floss

Just like brushing, flossing is an essential part of your oral hygiene routine. Flossing is important to remove the plaque buildup that a toothbrush simply can’t reach. It’s a step that you shouldn’t skip while and after wearing braces.

Make sure to floss at least once a day. Keep in mind to take it easy on your gums. Being too rough can irritate them which could lead to infections, that nobody needs.

Use and Interproximal Toothbrush

Adding an interproximal brush to your routine is a good idea. These are small brushes, typically used to clean in-between teeth. If you’ve used one while you were wearing braces, to clean around the wires and metal brackets, you are now used to it as a part of your routine and shouldn’t let it go, just because the braces aren’t there anymore. They are a great addition to your dental care routine, anyway. 

However, just like with the floss, being too aggressive with these interdental toothbrushes can damage your gums, so don’t forget to be gentle.

Use a Fluoride Mouthwash

Using a fluoride mouthwash once per day makes your tooth and enamel more resistant to decalcification, as well as the white spots from braces, that we mentioned above. You dentist can also prescribe a fluoride toothpaste or mouthwash according to your needs.

Watch What You Eat

In order to keep your desired smile, achieved through braces, you need to watch what you eat to prevent any coloring and unwanted spots. Diets high in sugar lead to decalcification or white spots. That’s why it’s best to avoid foods and beverages like sodas, sweets or sports drinks. 

A handy tip, if you can’t live without your daily dose of soda, is to use a straw to limit the contact that sugar has on your teeth. Furthermore, if it’s possible to brush your teeth after consuming sweets or at least drink water to flush away some of the sugars from them.

Don’t Skip Your Regular Dentist Appointments

Having regular appointments with your dentist will ensure that your teeth receive the right care and avoid any potential problems. You can also get professional cleaning which is important for your overall oral health as well. 

It’s always important to communicate with your dentist. Even if you don’t have an appointment but have some concerns Dr. Gallegos is an Albuquerque emergency dentist that is going to help you at all times.

Taking The Same Care For Your Teeth After You Get Your Braces Removed Is Essential

Having that perfect smile is worth all the care while wearing braces and after that. If there still are some white spots when your braces are removed, don’t worry. There are techniques that the professional team of Gallegos Family Dentistry uses to reduce or eliminate them. We can help you with the aftercare if you have any concerns. 

If you want to get braces, or you need help with taking proper care of your teeth after having them removed, don’t hesitate to book an appointment today!