How to look after fixed braces
Your fixed brace provides food and plaque with more places to hide, so you’ll need to pay extra attention to your oral hygiene routine. You will need to ideally brush after every meal to remove any small pieces of food that can get trapped in your brace.
When you’re wearing fixed braces or lingual braces you should be brushing your teeth three times a day. We recommend that you carry a toothbrush with you at all times, and use an alcohol-free fluoride mouthwash every evening, at a separate time to brushing, to protect your teeth from decay.
If you don’t keep your teeth and brace clean, you can end up with permanent, irreversible marking on your teeth – not what you want after all that time getting them lovely and straight!
We also recommend that you see a hygienist more regularly and your general dentist for regular check-ups throughout your treatment.
How to look after removable braces
Looking after removable braces is simple. Remove your brace carefully with gentle pressure, and when you are not wearing your brace keep it in its protective box. (We recommend always putting them back in their case so that you don’t accidentally throw them away in a napkin or on the food tray!)
To keep your removable brace clean soak it in a retainer cleaning solution once a week. (Retainerbrite is good, or Invisalign the cleaning crystals). You can also clean them with a spare toothbrush and non-abrasive soap & cool water, but don’t use toothpaste to clean your brace. This is important, as it will cause microscopic scratches which will be uncomfortable on your soft tissues and they can also change how transparent they are!
Please resist the temptation to play with your brace whilst you’re wearing it, as this may cause it to weaken and break. If you do experience any problems, make an appointment to see us as soon as possible, but in the meantime try to continue wearing your brace.