Brushing
Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and a small strip of fluoride toothpaste, unless the child is under the age of 3. If a child is younger than age 3, parents should clean their child’s teeth with water and a soft-bristled toothbrush. After age 3, parents should supervise brushing. Use no more than a pea-sized amount of toothpaste and make sure children do not swallow excess toothpaste.

When you brush your teeth, move the brush in small circular motions to reach food particles that may be under your gum line. Hold the toothbrush at an angle and brush slowly and carefully, covering all areas between teeth and the surface of each tooth. It will take you several minutes to thoroughly brush your teeth. Brush up on the lower teeth, down on the upper teeth and the outside, inside and chewing surface of all of your front and back teeth. Brush your tongue and the roof of your mouth before you rinse. Brush your teeth four times daily to avoid the accumulation of food particles and plaque:

• In the morning after breakfast
• After lunch or right after school
• After dinner
• At bedtime

Flossing
Pull a small length of floss from the dispenser. Wrap the ends of the floss tightly around your middle fingers. Guide the floss between all teeth to the gum line, pulling out any food particles or plaque. Unwrap clean floss from around your fingers as you go, so that you have used the floss from beginning to end when you finish. Floss behind all of your back teeth.Floss at night to make sure your teeth are squeaky clean before you go to bed. When you first begin flossing, your gums may bleed a little. If the bleeding does not go away after the first few times, let a staff member know at your next appointment.

Foods to Avoid
For most situations, common sense will tell you what to avoid. Hard foods, sticky foods and foods high in sugar must be avoided. Hard foods can break or damage wires and brackets. Sticky foods can get caught between brackets and wires. Minimize sugary foods; they cause tooth decay and related problems. Nail biting, pencil and pen chewing and chewing on foreign objects should be avoided.

Although sturdy, stable and advanced, braces are orthodontic appliances that you need to treat with care. That means eating foods that are gentle on the brackets and wires that hold your braces together and in place. Generally, avoid all foods that are sticky, hard, or chewy. Soft foods are most recommended for those who wear braces because they are simply easier on your mouth hardware.

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 fit you in for a repair appointment. In the meantime, this feature can help resolve minor problems you may encounter during your orthodontic treatment

Sore Teeth
If your teeth are sore after a visit you may take acetaminophen or other non-asprin pain relievers while you adjust to your new braces. A warm wash cloth, heating pad or warm salt water rinses may reduce the soreness in your jaws.

Wire Irritation
If your braces cause irritation try moving the wire away from the irritated area with a cotton swab or eraser. If the wire will not move, try covering the end of it with a small piece of cotton or a small amount of wax (sugarless gum works just as well!).

Loose Bracket
If the main wire or a bracket comes loose, first call our office to see if the bracket needs to be re-fitted. If you have a loose bracket or a pokey wire, please call our office on the next business day to schedule a repair appointment.

Lost Separator
If a separater comes out call our office to see if it needs to be replaced. Some patients may lose a separator during treatment, which is common.