Basic Care for Your New Set of Ceramic Coated Braces
The ceramic braces Dr. Brenna Christensen installed in your mouth, are identical to traditional wire and bracket braces in many ways. The most notable difference is that most of the visible hardware has been coated with a porcelain-ceramic material that can be perfectly shaded to match your natural tooth enamel. Should you develop cavities or some part of your braces hardware is bent or damaged it could significantly increase the amount of time you need to wear braces.
There are certain foods and lifestyle habits that you should keep in mind as you go about your day. Chewing gum and eating sticky foods can easily get stuck in the wires and bands causing damage or even breaking something loose. The same threat is posed by eating crunchy foods, hard candy and chewing on things like pens, pencils and ice.
You will need to brush your teeth and braces twice each day. This should be immediately followed by flossing between your teeth and along the gum line. If you are finding it difficult to completely clean some of the hard to reach places, you might want to try Interdental brushes. If you’re struggling to work floss around the braces hardware, you might want to try using a floss threader loaded with waxed dental floss.
It’s good to keep in mind that your natural tooth enamel is going to stain faster and deeper than the ceramic material coating the braces. Cutting back on dark food and drinks, will help minimize any noticeable staining. If you do want to enjoy dark beverages, you might want to dry drinking these beverages through a straw, or brush your teeth shortly after with a whitening toothpaste.
If you have questions about how to maintain your new ceramic coated braces, you can call Dr. Brenna Christensen ’s Kennesaw, Georgia office at (678) 401-4321 to ask a question.