Hygiene & Post-Orthodontic Care

Keep Your Smile Healthy and Looking Great

Maintaining Your Smile: Essential Hygiene and Post-Orthodontic Care Tips

After your orthodontic journey with Masterpiece Smiles, maintaining the health and beauty of your smile is crucial. Proper hygiene and post-orthodontic care are key to ensuring long-lasting results. Here, we provide comprehensive guidance to help you preserve that perfect smile achieved through our expert care in Marietta, Kennesaw, and Cumming, GA.

A. The Importance of Post-Orthodontic Hygiene

  • Protecting Your Investment: Your orthodontic treatment is an investment in your smile. Maintaining good oral hygiene post-treatment is essential to protect this investment.
  • Preventing Future Dental Issues: Proper dental care post-braces or aligners helps prevent common issues like tooth decay and gum disease, ensuring your smile stays healthy and beautiful.

 

B. Daily Oral Hygiene Routine

  • Brushing and Flossing: Post-orthodontic care involves meticulous brushing and flossing. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste to gently clean around your teeth and gums. Flossing daily helps remove plaque and food particles between teeth and along the gum line.
  • Regular Dental Check-ups: Continue visiting your dentist regularly for professional cleanings and check-ups. These visits are crucial for detecting and addressing any oral health issues early.

 

C. Caring for Your Retainer

  • Clean Your Retainer Regularly: Just like your teeth, your retainer should be cleaned regularly to prevent bacteria buildup. Follow the cleaning instructions provided by your orthodontist.
  • Wear as Directed: To maintain the alignment of your teeth post-treatment, wear your retainer as directed by your orthodontist. This is crucial in the first few months after your braces are removed.

 

D. Long-Term Oral Health Practices

  • Mindful Eating Habits: Be mindful of your eating habits. Avoiding overly hard or sticky foods can protect your teeth from damage and maintain their alignment.
  • Use of Mouthguards: If you're involved in sports, consider using a mouthguard to protect your teeth from potential injuries.

 

E. Addressing Common Concerns Post-Orthodontic Treatment

  • Sensitivity Issues: Some patients may experience tooth sensitivity post-treatment. Using a toothpaste designed for sensitive teeth can help alleviate this.
  • Whitening Options: If you're considering teeth whitening post-braces, consult with your dentist or orthodontist for the best approach.

Your journey to a perfect smile doesn't end with the removal of your braces or aligners. Embracing good oral hygiene practices and following post-orthodontic care instructions are vital steps in ensuring the longevity and health of your smile. At Masterpiece Smiles, we are committed to guiding you through every phase of your orthodontic journey, including the crucial post-treatment period. For more personalized advice or to address any concerns, feel free to contact our offices in Marietta, Kennesaw, or Cumming, GA.

Brushing & Flossing with Braces

What to Eat When You Have Braces

Soft Drinks + Orthodontic Treatment = A Recipe for Disaster

Soft drinks, including regular and diet soda pop, fruit drinks, sports drinks and energy drinks, weaken tooth enamel. They are even harder on teeth with orthodontic “appliances,” such as braces or aligners. It is recommended that you avoid soft drinks during your orthodontic treatment so that your teeth stay healthy and strong, and you finish your treatment with a good bite and a healthy, beautiful smile.

Acid is the Culprit

Soft drinks contain acids. Acid pulls calcium out of the enamel, making the tooth soft to the touch. Acid dissolves tooth enamel, a process called “decalcification,” and can lead to cavities. Once enamel dissolves, it does not come back. The loss is permanent.

Acid + Sugar = Double Trouble!

soda sugar braces

Plaque is a sticky, colorless film made up of bacteria, food debris and saliva that constantly forms on your teeth. Plaque uses sugar and starches as food, and expels acid as a by-product, creating a stain on the surface of the tooth. If plaque is not removed regularly by brushing and flossing, the build-up can lead to decalcification, cavities, gum disease, and loss of the bone that holds teeth in place. Coupled with acid that is present in soft drinks, drinking liquids containing sugar doubles the risk to tooth enamel.

How Soft Drinks Affect Teeth with Braces

affects of soft drinks on teeth

White marks like these on teeth are the result of decalcification, and are permanent. If you don’t remove the plaque that collects around brackets, between teeth and under the gums, decalcification can be evident within four months.

How Soft Drinks Affect Teeth While Wearing Aligners

affects of soft drinks with aligners

Liquids seep into aligners when you take a drink, and the liquid is held against the teeth until the aligner is removed. If the liquid contains acid, the prolonged exposure accelerates damage to teeth. This can lead to extensive decay (pictured above, right) and the need for expensive restorations that may need to be repeated periodically over a lifetime.

If You Must Drink a Soft Drink

Be Smart

If you have any questions about post-orthodontal care, please be sure to contact us. We will be glad to help

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