Braces are designed to realign your teeth, but when one of the brackets becomes loose, the braces lose some of their effectiveness. If you have braces on your teeth, it is important to know how to keep your braces working properly. Use the following guide to learn how to avoid damage to your braces and what to do if they become damaged.
Avoid Damage to Your Braces
Your braces can become damaged if you eat sticky or gummy foods. Gum, sticky candy, and fruit snacks should all be avoided when you have braces on your teeth. The sticky or gummy material can stick to your braces and pull them away from your teeth. It is also important to wear protective mouth guards when you are participating in sports to ensure that your braces are not accidentally damaged, if you are hit in the mouth. The guards will create a protective barrier that will keep them from being damaged.
Handling a Loose Bracket
If one of the brackets on your teeth becomes loose from your tooth, it will still be attached to the wire of your braces, but will not be attached to your tooth. The bracket will move around freely on the wire and could cut your gum, causing pain. It is best to place a small dab of oral wax between the bracket and your gum to ensure that the bracket doesn't rub against your gum. Make an appointment to meet with your orthodontist as soon as possible to ensure that you can get the bracket reattached to your tooth quickly.
Replace a Broken Elastic Band
If you have an overbite, your orthodontist will place elastic bands on your braces to help correct the overbite. If a band breaks, you will need to replace it right away. Remove the broken band from your mouth. You then need to slip the new band around the hook attached to your upper braces and pull it until you are able to slip the other end of the band around the hook on the lower braces. The bands need to be on your teeth at all times to effectively correct your overbite.
Taking care of your braces doesn't have to be overly difficult. While the braces are not designed to be extremely comfortable, they should never cause you to feel intense pain. If you notice that the pain you feel from the braces is unbearable, go to the orthodontist, like Young Chung DDS, and inform him or her about the pain you are feeling. Adjustments may need to be made to make your braces more comfortable.
Share25 March 2015
I have always brushed and flossed my teeth daily, but I still had the occasional cavity when I visited the dentist for a check-up. He told me it was normal to have a cavity on occasion and that I shouldn't let it stress me out too much. Well, I am not one to just accept any problem I am having, so I started looking into how to improve my oral hygiene even more. I had always thought mouthwash was just to improve your breath, but I found some that said they helped keep cavities away. I started using one every day before bed. I haven't had a cavity in two years now, and I think the mouth rinse is the reason! I created this blog to remind other people that even if they brush and floss regularly, they can always find ways to take even better care of their teeth.
