After investing the time and money into straightening your teeth, the last thing you want is stains on your new smile when your braces come off. While wearing braces, there are several steps you can take to prevent and reduce the chances of your teeth becoming stained. At King Orthodontics, we’ve put together some tips on how you can keep your smile looking great:
Using whitening toothpaste while wearing braces can lead to more discoloration. This is because the tooth area around your brackets is whitened, while the areas covered by the brackets is not whitened. This causes a noticeable discoloration, so it is best to stick with regular toothpaste.
After you eat, food particles left on your teeth can lead to a build-up of bacteria, which leads to plaque forming. Braces make it difficult to remove all of the plaque, which causes demineralization to occur, resulting in white spots. Brushing after every meal can help prevent this and will also help prevent cavities and other dental issues while wearing braces.
At King Orthodontics, we will provide you with a list of foods and drinks to avoid when you get your braces put on. It is essential to stay away from these foods and beverages because they can lead to staining. These foods and drinks include soda, coffee, mustard, tomato-based foods and drinks, and anything that contains food coloring. These types of foods and beverages can stain your teeth and your brackets.
It is essential to floss your teeth and use mouthwash to get around your wires and brackets. This helps you get into all the hard to reach places and ensure you get any food particles or bacteria that are still lingering in your mouth after brushing.
It can be challenging to juggle your busy schedule while attending all of your dental and orthodontic appointments, but you must do so. These appointments are where the rubber bands around your brackets will be changed, which needs to be done regularly to prevent staining. Your six-month checkups at the dentist for cleaning can also help reduce staining and reduce your risk for tooth decay.
At King Orthodontics, we provide high-quality, expert orthodontic care to Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas. For more information on preventing tooth stains or to schedule your next exam, contact us today!
