In Phoenix braces aren’t hard to live with

May 22, 2023

If you live in Phoenix and need braces, you are fortunate. Dr. Frost at Biltmore Dental Center has extensive training, knowledge, and experience in this field. He offers several options for braces, tailored to fit your specific needs.

Six Month Smiles is a system of clear brackets and tooth-colored wires that are barely visible. They straighten just the front teeth for cosmetic purposes. Invisalign uses clear aligners, similar to whitening trays, and is great for mild to moderate misalignment. Traditional Braces may be necessary for severe alignment and bite issues.

If you need traditional braces, don’t despair, Dr. Frost will give you the benefit of his wisdom along with his skill. Here he offers some tips on how to live easily with braces.

From the beginning, establish your new oral care routine. In addition to brushing your teeth, you must brush the brackets and the area around them carefully. A couple of simple tools will make your oral hygiene easier. Small interdental brushes created specifically for cleaning between teeth are excellent for cleaning around braces. A floss threader is a loop to work floss into small places. They are helpful with getting the floss threaded under your archwire. If available, an oral irrigator is excellent for cleaning around braces.

When you get your braces you will be given a list of foods not to eat. It may be hard to remember the list all of the time, but it is easy to remember a few simple groups to avoid:

  • Anything sticky such as gum, taffy, or nougat can catch on the bracket and wires and pull them loose
  • Crunchy or hard foods such as bagels, ice cubes, jerky or apples can catch on your braces; also, your teeth are slightly loose when wearing braces and these types of foods can make them looser
  • Sugary foods increase the acid in your mouth and can cause tooth decay around your brackets

If you work hard to incorporate the extra oral hygiene into your routine from the beginning and make some slight adjustments to your eating habits, it will become second nature. By the time you are used to your braces, you will be accustomed to the lifestyle that goes with them. You will be richly rewarded when the procedure is complete and you have a beautiful, straight smile in a healthy mouth!