Patient Information

Keeping Them Clean

One of the common fears about orthodontics is that the braces may cause decay. Your full bands, or the brackets bonded to your teeth, cover and protect that portion of your teeth as long as they are firmly attached. Either way, your brushing problem is the same. The bands or bonded brackets do make your teeth harder to clean. The brackets, tubes and wires tend to make a little shelf around the outside of the teeth. This shelf makes it harder for your toothbrush to clean the spaces between your gums and the attachments If you fail to get the teeth clean and fail to exercise your gums, then the gums swell and make it even more difficult to clean. Foods that usually slide across the teeth and gums during chewing are held back and prevented from doing their job of helping to clean the teeth and exercise the gums. So...When and How should you clean your teeth during orthodontic treatment? Within five minutes after you eat. Easy to say but sometimes hard to do? When you're away from home, we suggest you carry a travel type of folding toothbrush with you.

How to Brush

First, brush back and forth across...between the wires and gums on the upper and lower to loosen the food particles. Next, brush correctly as if you had no bands on. Start on the outside of the uppers with bristles at a 45 degree angle toward the gum or shelf to which we have referred.

Scrub with a circular motion, two or three teeth at a time using 10 strokes, and move on. The same on the inner surfaces of the uppers. Scrub the chewing surfaces last. Start on the outside of the lower teeth and repeat the process. Remember, direct the brush at an angle toward the gum or shelf area.

Rinse your mouth and toothbrush. Look in a Mirror to see if you have missed any places. Check the little half-moon spaces of teeth between the bands and gums and the space between the molar tubes and gums. If you see any areas you have missed, clean them now.

When you have finished, the bands and wires should be free of all food particles and the soft white coating (called plaque). The braces should look clean and shiny throughout your orthodontic treatment.

The water pik can be very helpful but it is to be used AFTER thorough brushing. It is not a substitute for brushing but does remove food particles that the brush cannot reach.

No No List

Eating these foods will loosen the braces,
delaying both treatment and improvement of faces.
So avoid these foods, whether girl or boy,
for your new healthy smile will give us all joy.
The. braces won't last forever you know,
and when it's a11 over_"Yes-Yes" not "No-No."
Brush after eating whenever you can,
and rinse with clean water if no brush is at hand.

1. The Crust of the pizza is the best part.
   but it's the place where the bent wires start.
2. Hard rolls, pretzels. bage1s and bones,
   knock off brackets & wires, so leave them alone.
3. Doritos & Tacos and all of the rest,
   will form a hard ball and make your broces a mess.
4. Popcorn & movies are fun for us all,
   but the pain that if causes is no fun at all.
5. Nuts are always very tasty too,
   but we'll have to say, "no nuts to you."
6. Beef Jerky & Slim Jims are fun to eat.
   but for wrecking your braces they're hard to beat.
7. Ribs & meats that are on the bone,
   are the kinds of foods you should leave alone.
8. Raw carrots and rabbits go together well,
   but the damage they cause is easy to tell.
9. Suckers are always a sweet delight,
   but they'll damage your braces if you ever bite.
10. Caramel candy & ju-ju beans
    are a gooey mess and lots of fun.
    But they'll pull off your brackets and feed your bacteria,
    so my good friend, don't let 'em go near ya.
11. Sugary gum is fun to chew,
    but only sugarless gum for you.
12. Pens & pencils are food for thought,
    but think of the havoc that can be wrought.
13. Lemons whole will eat your teeth away,
    but lemonade or juice in tea is OK.
14. Ice is nice in the heat we a11 know, but it destroys your braces, so a thousand times, "no."