How to Take Care of Your Braces

Getting braces is often seen as a milestone for people in middle school or high school. Taking care of these complex mechanisms made up of brackets and wires can seem difficult, and you may never look forward to visiting your Denver orthodontist to tighten them. However, taking care of your braces doesn’t have to be a challenge, and there are ways to deal with basic problems.

The following tips are important to remember so that you don’t do any unneeded damage to your braces or your mouth. These apply for kids in school, as well as adults who have braces.

Use of Dental Wax

The first and foremost thing you should take into account is the fact that many parts of braces will end up poking into your lips and cheeks. This can cause discomfort and, if the irritation lasts for a long time, eventually can lead to canker sores. In order to treat this, your orthodontist should have given you a little wax.

The wax can be balled and placed on the offending part of your braces. The wax will stick in place, allowing you relief from further pain. You can also apply a numbing gel to the area if available.

Flossing

One particular problem that makes it difficult to live with braces is the extra amount of time it takes to care for your teeth as part of your daily routine. Things that are normally pretty easy, such as flossing, can become challenging, as you have a hard time getting between each individual tooth on either side. Using the threader provided by your Denver orthodontist should help you with this problem.

The threader is designed to get between your teeth in the space where the gap between two teeth and the gums meet. This will allow you to pull the floss between the teeth, much like a needle and thread.

Extra Wire

Sometimes, when you get your braces adjusted, there will be extra wire on the end of your braces in the back of your mouth. Normally, the orthodontist will use a tool to snip off this extra metal and leave the end dulled to prevent it from poking at your cheeks.

However, if you find that the end is still sticking in your cheeks, then you should schedule an appointment to get the extra wire removed. In the time until your appointment, do not push on the wire, as that can mess up the braces or make one end longer. You should use the aforementioned wax to keep the wire from poking into your cheek.

General Care

While you may have specific problems, overall, braces are relatively easy to care for once you get used to them. However, as your Denver orthodontist will have noted, you should always make sure you follow general rules, including avoiding hard candies or similar foods. These general rules for care will make sure your treatment goes off without a hitch. And, as always, let common sense be your guide.