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Good oral hygiene practices are important for maintaining a healthy mouth. They are especially important for people with traditional orthodontic braces.

Cavities and periodontal inflammation issues can complicate the process of aligning your teeth. This could lead to increase discomfort after your regularly scheduled adjustments, or an increase in the total amount of time it takes to fully correct your smile. It’s important to remember to brush your teeth and braces each morning and night, followed by thoroughly flossing at least once each day. If you are having trouble cleaning a certain area you might want to try using an interdental brush, floss threader, or a water flosser.

You should also take steps to maintain your braces. If a part of your braces becomes bent, loosened, or damaged, it could cause you discomfort and possibly lengthen the amount of time it takes to straighten your teeth. It’s best to avoid sticky foods, chewing gum, and things like taffy. At the same time, excessively tough and hard foods could also cause a problem. These things could damage or loosen a bracket or bend a wire.

If you live in the Evanston, Wyoming, area and you are a patient of Dr. John R. Schouten, and you have a question about how to maintain your braces, you should call (307) 789-8742 to speak with a member of our staff.