Managing your school life while taking great care of your braces is the perfect blend of responsibility and cool. But if this is your first time wearing braces, it can take a bit of getting used to. Don’t worry; our expert smile team at Bowen Family Orthodontics is here. Together, we’ll help you get an A+ in braces care and maintenance.Â
5 Tips to Take Care of My Braces At School
Watch your Diet: Making good food choices also translates in the school cafeteria. That makes chewing gum, gummy worms, and crunchy meals a no-no for braces. After all, you wouldn’t want to deal with a broken bracket or a broken wire during school.Â
Broken braces can not only pose serious health risks but can also hurt your mouth. Dr. Bowen recommends the following braces-friendly food products:
- Oatmeal
- Pasta
- Soft fruits and vegetables
- Soft-cooked chicken and seafood
- Scrambled eggs
- Mashed potatoes
- Tofu
- Dairy products
As a bonus, these foods can also help you avoid any discomfort when you first get your braces or get them adjusted.
Bring Your Mouthguard: Just because you have braces doesn’t mean you can’t participate in sports. You just need a mouthguard to protect your smile. Manufactured from medical-grade thermoplastic material, this dental appliance ensures maximum protection against breaking your braces and preventing any injuries to your mouth.
During your visit, feel free to bring your mouthguard so our team can check it for any damages.
Pack Your Braces Care Kit: At Bowen Family Orthodontics, we advise our patients in Mullica Hill to bring a braces care kit to school. Below are the items you must include in your care kit:
- Travel-sized interdental toothbrushÂ
- Travel-sized fluoride toothpaste
- Orthodontic wax
- Floss threaders
- Tissue
- OTC medications for relieving mild discomfort
These essentials help keep your braces pristine and your teeth clean until the school bell rings. We recommend storing all items in a conveniently sized pouch for easy storage in your backpack or locker.
Brush Your Teeth: Nothing beats a fresh breath and clean teeth after eating a hearty lunch. Make sure to dedicate at least three minutes to brushing your teeth. Here, Dr. Bowen and her expert smile team will teach you how to brush with braces:
- Rinsing: Rinse your mouth with water.
- Brushing Above and Below the Brackets: Using a toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste at a 45-degree angle, brush along the gumline and above the brackets in a circular motion for 20 to 30 seconds. This is to ensure that food scraps are removed between your teeth. Repeat the step when brushing below the brackets.Â
- Brushing the Inner Teeth: Turn your brush face up, angle it vertically, and place it behind your teeth. Brush back and forth your upper teeth for 20 to 30 seconds. You can also brush them in a circular motion. Do the same for your lower teeth.Â
- Cleaning Hard-to-Reach Areas: Turn your toothbrush face down. Brush the surface of your teeth at the back of your mouth back and forth and in a circular motion to remove food particles. Do this for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Brushing Your Tongue: Rinse your brush and clean your tongue for 15 seconds. You can use a tongue scraper, too.Â
Brushing your teeth after eating not only removes food buildup in your braces, it also future-proofs your smile from plaque, tooth decay, and gum disease.
Floss Your Teeth: Flossing can be tricky when you have braces. Below is a four-step tutorial on flossing with braces:
- Threading: Insert an 18- to 24-inch floss through a floss threader. Thread the pointy end of the tool through the wire and pull the floss. Don’t let go of the threader.
- Controlling the Floss: For better control, wrap the floss around your left and right pointer fingers and hold it taut.
- Flossing: Carefully insert the floss between your teeth and move it back and forth. Repeat this step until all teeth have been cleaned.
- Rethreading: Pull the floss from the wire and rethread it through the floss threader.
For first-timers, flossing with braces can take as much as 10 minutes. However — as you improve your flossing skills — you’ll be finished within three minutes or less.
What If A Bracket Gets Loose or a Wire Broke?
Life happens sometimes. If a bracket becomes loose or you accidentally broke a wire, here are two braces first-aid tips to try:
Loose Bracket: Use a firm object like a pencil eraser to push the bracket into place. To prevent delays in your treatment, contact our smile team, and we’ll replace it.
Broken Wire: For now, use a firm object and apply orthodontic wax at the tip of the wire. This is to avoid friction and cuts in your mouth. Be sure to set an appointment with us for a replacement.
Mastering Braces Your Care!
Taking care of your braces by yourself is a rewarding experience. You develop new habits and perform basic first-aid on your braces. If you’re ready to begin your braces treatment just in time for the school year, call the Bowen Family Orthodontics team or schedule your free consultation today!