It is Never Too Late to Straighten Your Teeth

You're wearing braces for a reason - to correct your smile, so don't do anything that will mar that gorgeous smile or hinder what your braces are meant to do. This means you need to eat the right foods, brush your teeth properly and get to the orthodontist for regular checkups. See below for tips to help you prevent stains to your teeth, and how to prevent other damage to your teeth while wearing your braces.

Eat Properly

You can eat a lot of your normal foods while wearing braces, but you should skip out on things like corn on the cob or anything that is too hard to bite into, hard candy and gum should also not be part of your daily diet, as they can stick to your teeth or damage your brackets. Soda, coffee, and tea can also cause your teeth to stain, so try to limit these as much as possible. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables and drink plenty of water, which helps to rinse your teeth in between brushing.

Brush Your Teeth

Brush your teeth twice daily (in the morning and in the evening before bed), for two minutes. Use fluoride toothpaste, floss and use a mouthwash to rinse your mouth as well. Wearing braces makes it difficult to get in between your brackets with a normal toothbrush, so use a proxabrush (a cone-shaped toothbrush) to get in between them. A Waterpik water flosser is also a great way to clean your teeth while wearing braces. 

Visit The Orthodontist

Visiting the orthodontist is important while wearing your braces. Your orthodontist will check your brackets, wires and other parts of your braces to be sure they are in good shape and doing their job properly, but your orthodontist will also clean your teeth much like your regular dentist would do. Don't skip your orthodontic visits, as you'll end up wearing your braces for much longer if you skip these important visits. 

After wearing your braces, be sure to follow your instructions of your orthodontist and wear your retainer as directed to ensure your teeth do not move or shift out of place. You don't want to end up wearing braces a second time if not necessary.

Take good care of your teeth and your braces to prevent damage to either. Make sure to get to your appointments as directed by your orthodontist to be sure your teeth are moving into place as they should and to ensure your teeth are cleaned. To learn more, contact a company like Donald E. Snyder Orthodontics.