General Orthodontic Patient Care

Our team is dedicated to educating and providing patients with the knowledge and tools to obtain the best results. Do not hesitate to contact us with any questions related to maintaining your braces or aligners.

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Oral Hygiene

How can I keep my braces and aligners clean during treatment?

It’s extremely important to keep your gums and teeth clean during orthodontic treatment! Poor oral hygiene can result in the formation of “white spot lesions”, or permanent scars, on your teeth. While it requires extra effort, it is completely possible to keep your teeth clean during treatment. We recommend the use of an electric toothbrush, water flosser, plaque-indicating toothpaste (PlaqueHD), interproximal flossers, and braces floss picks to maintain your oral hygiene. For your convenience, we stock these supplies in our office at below-market price.

Foods to Avoid During Orthodontic Treatment

Orthodontic appliances are designed to be strong enough to stay on during treatment, but weak enough so that they will not hurt your teeth upon removal. Avoiding hard, sticky, and chewy foods during treatment will reduce the number of emergency visits and help us get to the finish line as fast as possible.

It’s also best to avoid eating foods that are high in sugar because they can promote tooth decay and other related problems. We encourage you to quit bad habits like biting your nails, chewing on pens and pencils, and chewing on foreign objects. These activities can also damage your appliances.

  • Gum (sugar-free or regular gum)
    Licorice
    Sugar Daddies
    Toffee
    Tootsie Rolls
    Caramel
    Starburst

  • Ice
    Nuts
    Hard taco shells
    French bread crust/rolls
    Corn on the cob
    Apples and carrots (unless cut)
    Bagels
    Chips
    Jolly Ranchers
    Pizza crust
    Uncooked carrots (unless cut)

  • Cake
    Ice cream
    Cookies
    Pie
    Candy
    Soda
    Sweetened tea
    Gatorade
    Kool-Aid
    Drinks with sugar