Brushing/Flossing

Caring for your braces is simple if you follow a few guidelines:

Brushing

The first thing to consider when cleaning your teeth is that there are three surfaces of each tooth that need to be brushed. These surfaces are:

• The Outside
• The Inside
• The Chewing Surface

The Outside
When brushing the outside of your teeth, you should try to make a forty-five degree angle toward the gum line between the head of your toothbrush and the tooth itself.

It is especially important to make sure the area between the brace and the gum stays clean.

Try to focus on a few teeth at a time. Make sure these teeth are completely free of food and plaque before moving to the next teeth.

The Inside
When brushing the inside surfaces of your teeth, try to maintain the forty-five degree angle towards the gum line as you did with the outside surfaces. Again, focus on just a few teeth at a time and make sure that they are clean before moving on.

The Chewing Surface
The chewing surfaces of the teeth are the easiest areas to brush. Remember to focus on a few teeth at a time before moving to the next teeth.

Flossing

Flossing with braces takes a little time and patience, but the effort is well worth it. The best type of floss to use with braces is called Super Floss. It is an Oral-B product, and can be found on the dental aisle in most supermarkets and drug stores. One end of the Super Floss is stiff, therefore making it easier for you to thread the floss under the braces. The other end of this floss is thick and fuzzy, thus helping to clean around the tooth as well as the braces.

The first step to flossing is getting the floss under the wire that connects the braces together.

Once the floss is under the arch wire, it can be wrapped around the tooth to one side. The floss is then pushed toward the gum line and then toward the wire. This should be repeated four to five times to ensure all plaque is removed. Be careful not to put too much pressure on the wire. Next, wrap the floss around the neighboring tooth and repeat the flossing process. Once both teeth are clean, the floss is pulled out and the process repeated for the next two teeth.

Foods to Avoid

When Dr. Groves puts on your braces, he uses an adhesive that is strong enough to keep them adhered to your teeth, but weak enough to be removed easily when your teeth are straight. Because the braces are not indestructible, there are foods that need to be avoided. Hard foods can either cause braces to come loose, or bend the wires that are carefully designed to straighten your teeth. Sticky foods may loosen bands or get caught in the braces. Foods to avoid include:

• Ice (even if you're careful)
• Taffy and caramels
• Jolly Ranchers and other hard candies
• Gum of any kind
• Hard chips like Doritos
• Carrots, apples, pears, etc. should be cut into small pieces
• Stay away from the bottom of the popcorn bag - the hard kernels are bad news
• Meat should not be chewed off the bone - it should be cut off
• Corn on the cob should be sliced off
• Pizza crust, bagels, and French bread should be broken into bite-sized pieces
• Pens, pencils, and fingernails should not be bit down on as they will also damage the braces

What Do I Do if I Have an Emergency?

If you have an emergency such as a broken bracket, loose or poking wire, or anything else that is causing you discomfort, please call the office. If your orthodontic emergency occurs when the office is closed, an after hours pager number is listed on the office answering system. We care about our patients and their comfort during orthodontic treatment in our office. We will always try to correct any problem you might have as quickly as possible.

While true orthodontic emergencies are rare, occasionally a minor problem can pop up. What follows is a list of problems that may be encountered and the remedies for them.

Initial Soreness

After the placement of braces or following an adjustment, the teeth may be tender for a couple of days. This occasionally happens and will pass. An over-the-counter pain reliever such as Advil or Tylenol may be helpful in alleviating this initial soreness.

Mild Tooth Mobility

Occasionally one may notice mild tooth mobility. This is normal, and will resolve as the tooth has moved into its correct position.

Wire Poking

During treatment as the teeth move, it is possible for the wire to protrude from the back braces. Placing wax on the wire will help keep you comfortable. Also, you can call the office to schedule a quick appointment to have the wire clipped.

Broken Brace

The most common cause of a broken brace is eating foods that are too hard or too sticky. Chewing on pens, pencils, or fingernails may also cause a broken brace. Regardless of how the brace became loose, please call our office during business hours to schedule an appointment to have it repaired.

Broken Wire

Again, eating hard or sticky foods can cause a wire to break. If this happens take a pair of nail clippers and cut the wire as close as possible to the next brace it is attached to.

Expander is Loose

If an expander becomes loose, we do not want you to activate it until you are seen. Usually the expander can be pushed back onto the tooth until you can get back into our office. Sticky foods are usually the cause of this.

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