During the period when we straighten our teeth since we must install orthodontic devices on the teeth, and the small gap of the braces will create a lot of dead corners in the mouth, it is easier to accumulate food residues, so after wearing the orthodontic device, pay more attention to oral hygiene than ordinary people. Because it is not worth it to make the whole mouth decay, which is often the most critical and important factor during the correction.
During the period of straightening your teeth, you should choose to use a toothbrush specially designed for straightening. Unlike ordinary toothbrushes, the bristles in the middle of this toothbrush are shorter, and a groove is formed in the middle, which can be used to clean the orthodontic device. Due to the need to clean the sharp-edged orthodontic device, the toothbrush wears out much faster than usual, so it is necessary to pay attention to the state of the toothbrush bristles at any time. If the bristles are found to have diverged, they must be replaced immediately.
During the period of orthodontic treatment, cleaning is the most important. The principle is to use a toothbrush specially designed for orthodontics to clean and brush your teeth every time you eat at home or when you go out. Use two teeth at a time, and connect the aligner and the teeth on three sides. Clean the area and use other cleaning aids such as mouthwash, interdental brushes, and floss passers to help remove interdental debris and bacteria.
What needs to be reminded is the best time to brush your teeth, it is best to wait 30 to 60 minutes!
First, you definitely want to relive the food you just enjoyed. Second, your mouth starts to sour after eating, especially if you eat a salad with apples, oranges, or vinegar, or drink a sweet drink or carbonated soda, the acid in the food can lower the pH in your mouth value, and the enamel surface is more fragile. Now brushing this vulnerable area with a hard-bristled toothbrush will cause more damage. On the contrary, if you can wait about half an hour, it will give the oral environment and new saliva a chance to relieve the acidic substances in the mouth and restore the pH balance. At the same time, the enamel becomes firm again and can resist external effects.
So what should you pay attention to during your diet?
The diet during orthodontic treatment is actually not much different from the general one. The only thing to pay attention to is not to hurt the orthodontic device, so as to avoid the orthodontic device falling off or deforming and irritating the soft tissue and gums of the oral cavity. Therefore, there are three types of food that should be eaten as little as possible or completely banned.
1. Foods that are too hard or too large:
Because the teeth are in the process of moving and receiving force during the orthodontic treatment, the teeth are relatively fragile. Therefore, hard foods that need to be chewed vigorously, such as sugar cane, olives, walnuts, etc., should be avoided as much as possible.
Usually, eating large food requires opening your mouth wide. This action may cause the aligner to fall off or deform, so the best way is to eat it in pieces.
2. Too sticky food:
Foods that are too sticky, such as maltose, rice cakes, etc., will stick or even cause displacement of the orthodontic device and the orthodontic wire, which will affect the effect of orthodontic treatment.
3. Foods high in sugar:
During the period of orthodontic treatment, it is necessary to avoid reducing the intake of sweets as much as possible. If you really cannot bear to eat it, you must brush your teeth immediately.
Finally, it should be noted that after each meal, in addition to brushing your teeth immediately, you should also check whether the orthodontic device has fallen off or deformed, and if there is a problem, you should return to the doctor immediately.
