Maintaining your braces is easier at home; anyone can attest to that. But taking care of your braces at school can be a challenge. On top of balancing homework and extracurricular activities, you also need to keep your braces in excellent condition and adjust your food choices accordingly.
Although there’s the initial discomfort of adjustment, you’ll soon develop good habits that pave the way to a beautiful smile. Whether you got your braces on the first day of school or in the middle of the school year, our expert smile team at About Faces and Braces is ready to lend a helping hand. Below are some tips on how you can take care of your braces at school.
Eat Braces-Friendly Foods
Metal and clear braces are made up of the following components: Brackets, archwire, and elastic ligatures. These parts work together to nudge your teeth into alignment. While braces are durable dental appliances, these components may dislodge or break if you eat the wrong types of food. This may entail additional costs for repair and replacement.
To prevent delays in your smile journey and ensure your braces remain undamaged until your next adjustment, Dr. Shawn and Dr. Coleman — our orthodontists at About Faces and Braces — suggest eating the following foods:
- Cooked vegetables
- Soft fruits
- Seafood
- Softly cooked chicken
- Pasta
- Noodles
- Dairy products
These foods are gentle on your teeth and are less likely to get stuck in braces. On the other hand, our smile team recommends steering clear of crunchy or sticky food in the school cafeteria, such as:
- Chewing gum
- Sticky candy
- Hard bread
- Nuts
- Chips
- Popcorn
- Pretzels
- Hard fruits and vegetables
These foods can lodge between your braces, making brushing harder. If not removed properly, you may develop cavities or tooth decay.
Keep Yourself Hydrated
You can’t go wrong with water. Water cleanses your teeth and braces of food scraps without all the risks that come with sugary or acidic beverages. These types of beverages erode the brackets’ adhesive, causing them to detach from your teeth. When this happens, achieving your ideal smile will take longer than expected.
While an occasional soda or two is not so bad, packing braces-friendly beverages like milk or non-sugary fruit juice is your best deterrent against damages and delayed treatment.
Bring Your Braces Care Kit
Braces require additional responsibility, and our team understands this very well. This is why it is necessary for you to put together a braces care kit. Think of it as a toiletries bag but for braces. Your care kit must contain the following essentials:
- Collapsible Interdental Toothbrush: This type of toothbrush is designed to remove food buildup from teeth, braces, and hard-to-reach areas. Be sure to opt for a collapsible one, so it perfectly fits in your care kit.
- Travel-Sized Fluoride Toothpaste and Mouthwash: Fluoride is a powerful mineral that leaves your pearly whites strong, immaculate, and cavity-tree throughout their braces treatment. A fluoride mouthwash is a great addition, too.
- Orthodontic/Dental Wax: At About Faces and Braces, we recommend orthodontic wax to our patients in Ft. Campbell, Rudolphtown, Bellevue, and Springfield. Composed of natural ingredients, orthodontic wax acts as a wall between your braces and gums, which helps soothe irritation from friction.
To use this special wax, apply a pea-sized amount on your finger, roll it into a ball for a few seconds, and rub it on your braces. Remember to wash your hands before and after applying the wax and remove it every 48 hours. - Floss Threaders: A floss threader is an absolute must-have. It looks like a needle, complete with an eye for inserting the floss through the archwire. While it takes a bit of getting used to, learning how to use a floss threader sets the stage for easier braces and teeth maintenance. Flossing should take around 10 minutes (or less if you master the art of flossing) of your time.
Make sure to brush and floss your teeth after eating lunch so that you don’t have any leftover food in your braces.
Wear A Mouthguard
Braces care also extends to sports and physical activities. Since things get unpredictable in the school gym or on the field, wearing a mouthguard helps to protect your braces from damage and safeguards your smile from trauma and injury. This is especially helpful if you play any contact sports.
Level Up Your Oral Habits At School
At school, there’s always the temptation to snack on tasty chips or grab a soda from the vending machine. But when you follow our tips, your braces and smile will thank you for protecting them from harm.
If you’re interested in getting braces, don’t be shy! Just reach out to Dr. Shawn and Dr. Coleman. We’ll happily serve you throughout your smile journey.