Children are taught the importance of dental hygiene from an early age. But wearing a brace can make it more difficult to take proper care of your teeth. You can read the most important points to remember here.
Dental braces correct misalignments of the teeth and jaws to help give children –and a growing number of adults – a perfect smile. Unfortunately, brushing your teeth with fixed braces can be a bit of a challenge. So there are a few things that people of any age who wear a dental brace should bear in mind.
Tips for clean teeth with braces
Clean your teeth and braces regularly
After each main meal and before going to bed, brush your teeth and braces thoroughly with a fluoride toothpaste. But be careful: toothpastes for adults containing between 0.1% and 0.15 % fluoride are not suitable for children. More detailed information on the right fluoride content for people of different ages can be found on the website of the Federal Food Safety Office.
It's advisable to buy a special toothbrush for brace-wearers. Otherwise you can use a medium-hard brush with a short head.
The right way to brush
Before brushing your teeth, rinse your mouth thoroughly with water to get rid of larger pieces of food debris. Move back and forth between the wires with your finger to dislodge more food scraps.
Brush each tooth with a circular motion. To get to the bits under the wire you should use the brush at a 45-degree angle between the wire and the tooth. The chewing surfaces and inner surfaces of the teeth can be brushed as usual with circular motions.
Dentists advise brushing with an interdental toothbrush between the bands, braces and arches at least once a day and flossing between your teeth. It's best to use floss specially designed for wearers of braces. This can also be inserted in the area between the wire and the gums.
Removable braces need looking after too
If you wear removable braces, you should clean them with a toothbrush under running water. If you do this every day you don't need cleaning tablets, as they can corrode the metal parts.
Avoid certain foods
Steer clear of sticky sweets such as liquorice and toffee, which will stick to your brace and are difficult to remove. Starchy foods like crisps and saltsticks also tend to stick to your teeth. You should also avoid biting directly into hard foods such as apples, as this can put the wire out of shape. It's better to cut things into bite-sized pieces and chew carefully.
Dental insurance protects your teeth and your wallet
SWICA advises parents to take out Denta supplementary dental insurance in addition to Completa Top supplementary insurance before their child turns five. Depending on the benefit category, this will cover up to 80 per cent of the costs of dental and orthodontic treatment for children and young people. For more information, please contact us.
