Brushing with Traditional Braces

With braces, oral hygiene is more important than ever. That’s because they have tiny spaces where food particles and plaque get trapped, and insufficient cleaning while wearing braces can cause enamel staining and tooth decay around brackets or bands. If you’ve recently had braces applied to your teeth, Dr. Cynthia Wong wants you know how to properly brush them with the following technique.

• Prepare to brush – take off elastics (rubber bands) and any other removable parts of your orthodontic appliance.


• Clean your braces – Use your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to clean around the wires and pins of your braces. Brush from the top of each wire and then from the bottom.


• Brush your teeth – Clean each tooth individually. First, place your brush at a 45-degree angle to the junction between the tooth and the gum, and then apply gentle pressure as you move in a circular motion. Do this for about 10 seconds. Use the same brushing action on all outer and inner tooth surfaces, tilting the brush as needed to better reach the insides of smaller front teeth.


• Floss once a day – Carefully thread the floss under or over the main wire of your braces, taking care not to get it stuck. Then thread the floss through the wire to reach in between the spaces of your teeth.

If you have questions about how to brush with braces, give us a call. To learn more about the types of braces we provide at Dr. Cynthia Wong Orthodontics, visit www.drcynthiawong.com for more information. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Cynthia Wong in Orland Park, IL, call 708-444-8341.

Flossing with Traditional Braces

As Dr. Cynthia Wong will tell you, flossing can be difficult when you have traditional metal braces, but it’s more important than ever to keep the gaps in your teeth clean when you have these devices. Many folks who have braces don’t know how to floss with them or think that they can’t floss at all if they have braces and this is not true. Therefore, here are some tips for flossing effectively and keeping those brackets and wires clean.

Although flossing with braces is tricky, it’s important to use the right tool. An orthodontic floss threader is a very thin piece of flexible plastic with a large loop at the end. After putting your floss through the loop, you pull the threader up and under the wire. This inexpensive and disposable tool is available in nearly any drugstore. It is indispensable when flossing teeth with braces because it allows you to pull the floss through the teeth above the wire and reach the gum line. Using this tool is an easy way of getting dental floss under your wires. Floss picks are another tool that can make the habit easier. These picks come with a short section of floss held in place by two thin prongs that are often thin enough to fit under the wire.

If you have questions about how to floss with braces, give us a call. To learn more about the types of braces we provide at Dr. Cynthia Wong Orthodontics, visit www.drcynthiawong.com for more information. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Cynthia Wong in Orland Park, IL, call 708-444-8341.

What Am I Allowed to Eat with Braces?

 

When you get braces, you most likely will have to modify some parts of your diet to protect them. As much as we love to see you at the office of Dr. Cynthia Wong, we don’t want you to delay your orthodontic treatment by eating the wrong foods that may loosen, break, or bend wires and bands. Although sturdy, stable and advanced, braces are orthodontic appliances that you need to treat with care. Below, we will explain what you should and should not eat while wearing braces.

You should never eat sticky foods, such as taffy, caramel, and chewing gum when you have braces. You should also avoid popcorn, because the hulls can get stuck between your brackets and cause gum inflammation and infection. Avoid hard foods such as nuts and hard cookies. Foods such as apples and carrots should be chopped into small pieces before eating to reduce stress on your braces. 

Recommended foods while wearing braces generally include anything soft such as: bananas, yogurt, light crackers, cheese, mashed potatoes, melons, grapes, and peanut butter and jelly, as well as noodle dishes like ravioli, spaghetti and macaroni and cheese. 

If you have additional questions about what you can and cannot eat while wearing braces, give us a call. To learn more about the types of braces we provide at Dr. Cynthia Wong Orthodontics, visit www.drcynthiawong.com for more information. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Cynthia Wong in Orland Park, IL, call 708-444-8341.

When you get braces, you most likely will have to modify some parts of your diet to protect them. As much as we love to see you at the office of Dr. Cynthia Wong, we don’t want you to delay your orthodontic treatment by eating the wrong foods that may loosen, break, or bend wires and bands. Although sturdy, stable and advanced, braces are orthodontic appliances that you need to treat with care. Below, we will explain what you should and should not eat while wearing braces.

You should never eat sticky foods, such as taffy, caramel, and chewing gum when you have braces. You should also avoid popcorn, because the hulls can get stuck between your brackets and cause gum inflammation and infection. Avoid hard foods such as nuts and hard cookies. Foods such as apples and carrots should be chopped into small pieces before eating to reduce stress on your braces.

Recommended foods while wearing braces generally include anything soft such as: bananas, yogurt, light crackers, cheese, mashed potatoes, melons, grapes, and peanut butter and jelly, as well as noodle dishes like ravioli, spaghetti and macaroni and cheese.

If you have additional questions about what you can and cannot eat while wearing braces, give us a call. To learn more about the types of braces we provide at Dr. Cynthia Wong Orthodontics, visit www.drcynthiawong.com for more information. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Cynthia Wong in Orland Park, IL, call 708-444-8341.

 

Oral Care For Braces

Dr. Cynthia Wong wants you to have the best results possible when it comes to your orthodontic care. Because thorough oral hygiene is more difficult with braces, braces wearers are more prone to gingivitis, tartar, and demineralization than non-braces wearers. While you are wearing braces, it is essential that you take care of your teeth and gums properly.

Braces have countless tiny spaces to trap food, and this trapped food causes plaque, which can lead to many other dental problems. Because of this, it's very important to brush your teeth after every meal (snacks count, too), to rinse with mouthwash, and to floss at least once a day. This may seem tedious or excessive, but neglecting your oral hygiene can lead to serious oral health problems, force you to spend additional time in braces, or cause unsightly staining on your teeth.

If you have questions about how to maintain proper oral hygiene while wearing braces, give us a call. To learn more about the different types of braces available, visit www.drcynthiawong.com for more information. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Cynthia Wong in Orland Park, IL, call 708-444-8341.