FAQs About Proper Care After Braces
At Birth & Fletcher, we don't just provide top-notch orthodontic treatment in the Fort Worth area while your braces are on; we also make sure you retain that newly straight smile for long after they come off. Contact us now to get all your questions about braces in the Fort Worth area answered and start the process of giving yourself a newly straight and beautiful smile.
Retaining your great, new smile after braces requires several aspects of follow-up treatment and care, each of which is instrumental to getting the longest-lasting benefits possible from wearing braces in the Fort Worth area. With that in mind, here are some of the most frequently asked questions patients have about what to do to keep their smile straight and beautiful after getting their braces off.
What Is a Retainer?
Just because braces have straightened your teeth, it doesn’t mean your teeth are firmly held in these new positions. This requires your dental bones, muscles, and gums becoming adjusted to this change. Daily habits like chewing food and grinding your teeth will apply force to your teeth that can shift them around in your mouth. This can cause a problem known as malocclusion in which your lower and upper teeth don’t align when you close your mouth. To help prevent this, your orthodontist in the Fort Worth area will recommend that you wear a retainer for some time after your braces are removed.
A retainer is a custom-made orthodontic device you wear over your teeth following braces to help keep them in their new, proper position. Once you get your braces off, your dentist will make you a custom retainer to wear.
For the first several months after braces, you’ll be wearing this retainer all the time, day and night; after this initial period, your orthodontist will recommend that you start wearing it only at night while you sleep.
How Do I Keep My Teeth Clean After Braces?
Helping to maintain your new smile after braces also requires proper cleaning and care of your teeth. Fortunately, this maintenance is the same that your dentist in the Fort Worth area recommends for good oral hygiene for all patients.
For starters, brush your teeth at least twice daily and floss between your teeth at least once every day. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and mildly abrasive toothpaste when you brush for best results and to avoid damaging your tooth enamel.
If you are still wearing a retainer, be sure to remove it and clean it carefully at least twice a day as your orthodontist instructs.
You may even wish to discuss with your orthodontist whether a tooth-whitening treatment is right for you to help remove stubborn and persistent stains and discolorations on your teeth.
Remember to care for your gums as well, as firm and healthy gums are essential for securing your teeth in their new positions.
The other key component of proper dental hygiene is maintaining a schedule of regular professional dental cleanings and routine exams with your the Fort Worth area dentist. This helps ensure that your now-straightened teeth stay healthy and strong as well.
How Does My Diet Impact My Smile After Braces?
The foods you eat can either help or hinder you in maintaining the benefits of wearing braces. Foods that are hard, sticky, or chewy can damage your teeth and cause them to shift out of position. By avoiding these foods, you can help prevent such unwanted shifting from occurring.
Sugary foods and drinks can also damage your teeth, and dark foods and drinks like red wine and coffee can stain and discolor your teeth, all of which can impact your smile after braces. To prevent this impact, avoid such foods and drinks in your daily diet as much as possible and, when you do enjoy these things in your diet, be sure to rinse your mouth thoroughly with water and, possibly, a mild mouth rinse as your orthodontist recommends.
Why Are Follow-up Appointments With Your Orthodontist in the Fort Worth area So Important After Braces?
Follow-up appointments with your orthodontist after braces are every bit as important as regular checkups and routine cleanings with your dentist.
At these follow-ups, your the Fort Worth area orthodontist at Birth & Fletcher will make sure your teeth are staying in their new positions and adjust your retainer as needed to keep them that way. Your orthodontist may even take dental X-rays to ensure your teeth are maintaining the benefits of braces that they've received.
When you have your braces removed, your orthodontist will recommend a schedule of follow-up appointments. Make sure you adhere to these instructions.
By closely adhering to all your orthodontist’s instructions and recommendations for caring for your teeth after braces, you can ensure that your teeth remain straight and your smile beautiful for as long as possible. Call Birth & Fletcher today to get started on orthodontic treatment with braces to help restore your smile to its most healthy, straight and sparkling state.
