Keep Your Teeth And Gums Healthy While You Wear Braces

Keep your teeth and your gums healthy while you wear braces. At Kwong Orthodontics in Portage, MI, Dr. Thomas Kwong and his capable team encourage all of their patients to practice daily care habits that preserve your smile while it's being remodeled.

The point of orthodontic care

A crooked smile presents many problems, including headaches, worn enamel, less than attractive appearance, tooth decay, and gum disease. Plus, uneven bite, gaps, and crowding make teeth harder to keep clean. So, if your detailed evaluation at Kwong Orthodontics recommends braces, be sure to undergo treatment. Both children and adults benefit from a well-aligned set of teeth.

Types of braces

Most people are familiar with traditional braces—metal, ceramic, and lingual (tongue-side) appliances with their archwires, brackets, and ligaments. Besides these options, Dr. Kwong offers clear braces in his Portage practice. Whatever you qualify for, expect a beautiful smile that optimizes your self-confidence, biting, chewing, speech, and dental/gum health.

Caring for your smile with braces

Whichever orthodontic appliances you use, oral care is a must-have. Careful twice-daily brushing with a soft toothbrush and daily flossing using the product your hygienist recommends removes food particles, avoids gum irritation, and preserves your teeth from decay. Take your time with your oral care as it's an investment in treatment plan success and a great smile.

Also, if you wear conventional braces, avoid very sticky, hard, and sweet dietary choices. Sugary drinks and foods contribute to decay, and tough-textured foods lodge in and between appliances to the point of dislodging and breaking them. As an orthodontic patient, you stay away from:

• Bagels
• Pizza crust
• Nuts
• Caramel
• Candy apples
• Corn on the cob (or other foods you must bite down on)
• Ice
• Popcorn

A beneficial addition to your diet is water. It adds fluoride to your enamel and washes teeth and gums clean.

If you do break off part of your appliance, save it to take to Dr. Kwong for repair. If a wire or bracket becomes uncomfortably rough, cover it with a piece of orthodontic wax until you see your dentist.

Finally, the American Dental Association (ADA) recommends you wear an athletic mouth guard to cushion your teeth during any contact sport. Ask Dr. Kwong about custom-made acrylic guards to cover both top and bottom arches.

Find out more

Due to the coronavirus situation, we will be open on a limited basis to see emergency patients indefinitely. If braces are in your future, please make an appointment soon: (269) 327-4459.