What kind of special care is needed for teeth with braces?
Patients with braces must be careful to avoid hard and sticky foods. They must not chew on pens, pencils or fingernails because chewing on hard things, such as hard candy, ice, hard chips and pizza crusts, which can damage the braces. Damaged braces will always extend total treatment time, and will require extra trips to the orthodontists office. Our orthodontists and staff members will teach patients how to best care for their teeth, gums and braces during treatment. We will tell patients (and/or their parents) how to brush, floss, and, if necessary, suggest other cleaning aids that might help the patient maintain good dental health. Keeping the teeth and braces clean requires more effort and time, and must be done every day if the teeth and gums are to be healthy during and after orthodontic treatment. Patients who do not keep their teeth clean may require more frequent visits to the dentist for a professional cleaning.