Home Care Corner

General information:

Braces do not cause cavities. However, their presence may accelerate problems if proper hygiene is not performed. A daily program of brushing and flossing is essential to prevent white decalcification marks, tooth decay and gum disease. Also, remember teeth move faster through healthy tissues.

  

Brushing: We recommend that you use a soft-bristled toothbrush with moderate force, and toothpaste that contains fluoride. Place the toothbrush at an angle so that you can feel the bristles under your gum line and use small circular motions. Completely clean each surface of every tooth in your mouth, including the areas above, below and between each brace, leaving no food particles or plaque behind. The Sonicare toothbrush is a great way for patients to clean their teeth and is available for purchase through our office. Remember to replace your toothbrush or toothbrush head frequently due to the rapid wear of the bristles from the appliances in your mouth.

**Click here for a video on brushing**

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Flossing: Flossing takes more time and patience when you are wearing braces, but it is important to floss your teeth everyday nonetheless. Use the floss to remove food and plaque between your teeth where a toothbrush can’t reach. A floss threader (we stock in our office) or Superfloss (available for purchase at our office) is necessary to floss under your archwire daily. Pull a small length of floss (about 6 inches) from the dispenser through the threader and slide it under the main arch wire, then up and down along the front and back of each tooth. Use care to not floss too forcefully. Make sure to floss below the gums as well. We sell Platypus flossers as an alternative to the above which will help you get under the archwire. If you are flossing without any aids, you should thread the floss under the archwire between all the teeth. Remember to floss behind the very last tooth as well. Floss at night to make sure your teeth are clean before you go to bed. A Water-Pik is also a great tool to use with flossing. Mixing Listerine with the water provides an added benefit. Water-Pik’s can be purchased at our office as well.

**Click here for a video on flossing**

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Interdental Brush: An interdental or “proxy” brush is a brushing aid you will find useful to keep your teeth, braces and gums clean and healthy. It is used specifically to clean under orthodontic wires and around braces. Be careful when using this device not to damage your appliances. We stock interdental brushes in our office.

**Click here for a video on interdental brushing**

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Mouth Rinse: Peroxyl is an antiseptic dental rinse (active ingredient: hydrogen peroxide 1.5%) used in orthodontics to control minor gum inflammation and irritations from orthodontic appliances. It can also be used to cleanse canker sores, minor wounds or other irritations of the mouth such as burns, cheek bites or toothbrush abrasion. Its oxygenating action removes debris allowing natural healing to occur. Use up to four times daily, after meals and at bedtime while wearing orthodontic appliances. Peroxyl can be purchased through our office.

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Prevident: Prevident is a toothpaste that has a high concentrate of fluoride. We recommend brushing with it once a day at bedtime to help minimize the chances of decay and white decalcification marks on your teeth. You can purchase Prevident through our office or at a local pharmacy with our prescription.

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Cleaning a removable appliance: All orthodontic appliances tend to accumulate food particles and plaque (just like teeth do). Each time you brush your teeth, brush your appliance (out of the mouth) as well. At least once a week, be sure to soak your removable appliance in warm (not hot) water and Retainer Brite (can be purchased at our office). This will help prevent plaque buildup, oral infections, and leaves your appliance tasting better. An ultrasonic cleaner helps to loosen food debris and plaque and can also be purchased at our office.

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Emergency information:

There are very few true orthodontic emergencies. Most problems can be remedied at home. However, if you have a situation that you cannot resolve on your own, call us as soon as possible so we can bring you into the office and make you comfortable.

  1. Sore teeth-If your teeth are sore after a visit, you may take acetaminophen or other non-aspirin pain relievers while you adjust to your new braces. A warm wash- cloth, heating pad or warm salt water rinses may also help reduce the soreness in your jaws.
  2. Wire irritation-Try pushing the pokey wire from the irritated area with a cotton swab or rubber eraser. If the wire will not move, try covering the tip of it with a small piece of cotton or small amount of wax, which we stock at our office. Kanka softbrush is a topical anesthetic that relieves discomfort caused by minor irritations from braces and is available for purchase in our office. We also stock Orabase which is a gel that provides temporary relief for canker and mouth sores caused by minor irritations from braces.
  3. Loose bracket-If the main wire or bracket comes loose, call our office during normal business hours to let us know. If you have a situation where you must cut the wire or slide a bracket off the wire, you may use either tweezers or fingernail clippers that have been swabbed with alcohol.
  4. Lost separator- If a separator comes out, call our office the next business day for further instructions.

**Click here for a video on applying wax**

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