Best Practices for Maintaining Oral Health While Wearing Aligners or Braces
Getting a set of braces or clear aligners can be quite an exciting step toward that straighter, more confident smile. But let’s face it, anyone who has been through this orthodontic treatment will tell you that keeping your mouth clean in the process can be tricky: food particles get trapped so easily, brushing requires more effort, and very often your gums feel a little sore.
Still, proper oral hygiene is not optional when one finds themselves with aligners or braces. Without it, plaque builds up fast, leading to cavities and bad breath, or even staining that can persist long after the braces have gone.
The truth is that having great oral hygiene with braces or aligners is not about doing more, but rather about doing smart things. Most patients ask their Dentist at Spire Dental Care Langley for useful tips on maintaining their oral health while on treatment.
So, here’s how to keep your smile protected while your teeth are being straightened during treatment.
1. Brush Thoroughly After Every Meal
This one’s simple, but it makes all the difference. Wearing braces includes tiny brackets and wires that catch food quite easily, even soft meals like pasta or rice. If those bits sit too long, the bacteria start to feed on them, resulting in plaque and acid development.
This applies to clear aligners as well because, even though they are removable, if you put them back on without brushing, you are putting bacteria right back in between your teeth and the aligner tray.
Good habit: Gently brush after each meal and then rinse before putting aligners back in the mouth. Your Langley Dentist can recommend an orthodontic toothbrush or small interdental brush that does a better job cleaning the areas around wires.
2. Don’t Forget to Floss — Even If It’s Annoying
Flossing with braces is nobody’s favorite chore, but not doing it results in plaque between the teeth and along the gum line. For those using aligners, flossing is easier-although just as important.
If you have braces, consider using orthodontic floss picks or floss threaders, and although it may take a few minutes longer to do so, it is well worth it. Your gums will stay healthy and you will experience minimal white spots when plaque forms around brackets.
Your Dentist near me can also show you how to use a water flosser; it is a great option if using traditional floss feels like too much work.
3. Keep the Aligners Clean and Clear
Aligners are nearly invisible-but only if you keep them that way. Wearing dirty trays can stain your teeth, create bad breath, and make aligners cloudy.
Rinse them every time you take them out and brush them gently with a soft toothbrush and mild soap – do not use toothpaste as it may scratch them. Avoid hot water as it warps the plastic.
A good tip from many Dental clinic near me is to soak aligners daily in a special cleaning solution designed for orthodontic appliances. It kills bacteria and keeps them fresh.
4. Be Mindful of What You Eat
There are a few things that you can’t eat with braces. Hard candy, sticky (caramel) candy and popcorn could pop the wires or get stuck between the brackets and no one wants that! Apples or uncooked vegetables should be cut up small no matter what so you do not bend the metal.
Alignment wearers have more leeway since trays can be removed while eating. However, sugary or acidic foods should be avoided since these weaken the enamel and discolor teeth.
At Spire Dental Care Langley, your Dentist will provide you with a list of foods to avoid and give you some healthy snack alternatives. Just be sure to follow those suggestions and you’ll keep your braces-and your teeth-in top condition.
5. Rinse regularly
One quick rinse does more than freshen your breath–using water or an anti-bacterial mouth wash removes leftover debris, and will help control bacteria.
Rinsing after a snack can help individuals with braces dislodge food from their teeth when they are unable to brush. A person wearing aligners can also rinse–but it is super important to rinse and clean the mouth first before putting the aligner back in the mouth after rinsing to avoid putting the bacteria back into the tray.
6. Be Consistent with Dental Checkups
It can be quite tempting to believe that the visits to your orthodontist should suffice, but your Langley Dentist still has quite an important role during this time. Routine cleaning and check-ups will prevent possible problems such as cavities, gingivitis, or decalcification, which are more difficult to locate when you have braces.
When one seeks a dental clinic near me offering orthodontic and general dentistry, such as Spire Dental Care Langley, it’s quite easy to stay on top of everything. Your dentist may liaise with your orthodontist to ensure that your treatment flows without a hitch.
7. Use Fluoride Products
Long stretches of time where teeth are covered with brackets or aligners, puts them at most risk for acid attacks. In addition to brushing and flossing, fluoride helps to strengthen enamel which will help resist decay.
If you haven’t moved onto fluoride mouth rinse or fluoride toothpaste, we encourage you to. If you are someone who has a lot of fillings, consider asking your Dentist to prescribe strength fluoride.
Even small habit changes, like adding in a fluoride rinse at bedtime, can lead to large wins in the health of teeth long-term.
8. Fluid Intake
Another one that sometimes flies under the radar – saliva is your natural defense against bacteria, and if you are dehydrated, that decreases the flow of saliva, leading to more dry mouth, more acid, and increased risk for cavities.
Always have water available especially if you use aligners for long periods. Additionally, avoid any sugary drinks or sodas that coat your teeth with acid because these are opposites of what your smile needs while in treatment.
9. Replace Aligners on Time
If you are using clear aligners, it can be tempting to extend a set for “just a few more days”. But old aligners can trap bacteria and won’t fit properly. Stick to your schedule and replace trays as instructed by your orthodontist.
Lost or damaged trays must be reported to your Langley Dentist at once. Waiting too long may not only slow your progress but can cause pain when teeth start to move out of alignment.
10. Be patient and stay committed!
Whether you are a brace wearer or an aligner wearer, the process takes time–and it will take time to get used to the new routine, so consistency is key here. Surprisingly, missing one or two days of proper cleaning may not be regarded as a big issue but can actually undo weeks of good effort.
The payoff comes when your braces come off or your last aligner snaps into place — and you see that perfectly straight, healthy smile staring back at you.
Your Dentist near me will make your time spent in retention smooth, so you can keep your results great for many years.
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Final Thoughts
Getting braces is one of the best things you can do for yourself for an investment in your smile. The level of care you provide for your teeth throughout that investment is what ultimately makes or breaks the investment.
By building the small daily habits of brushing after meals, cleaning aligners, and avoiding certain foods, you will be able to keep your teeth healthy, clean, and strong during the treatment course with the help of your regular visits to a Langley Dentist.
The team at Spire Dental Care Langley is passionate about helping your child form habits that will serve them long after the braces or aligners are removed. Whether you are just starting with orthodontics or you are nearing the end, remember this: good oral care isn’t about having straight teeth; it is about keeping them for life.
