Braces are commonly used to realign teeth that have alignment issues. However, some people feel uncomfortable about the visual appearance of the orthodontic hardware on their smile during the realignment process. One way to address these feelings is to have ceramic braces installed.
The ceramic braces are designed to be rather durable. Yet, they will still need daily care and cleaning. If any part of your braces is damaged or if you struggle with tooth decay, it could increase the amount of time it takes to complete the alignment process.
Your braces and teeth will need good oral hygiene habits to prevent cavities and undue wear and tear on the orthodontic hardware. This starts by brushing twice a day. If you’re having issues removing plaque and food material from hard-to-reach places, you might want to try using an interdental brush. They have small, angled heads that can help clean food material and plaque from hard-to-reach areas around braces hardware.
You should then floss each evening. If you’re struggling to work the strand around a wire or other piece of braces hardware, you might want to try using a floss threader loaded with waxed dental floss.
It’s also important to be mindful that certain foods and lifestyle activities can pose a threat to your ceramic braces. Gum and sticky foods can easily get stuck in the wires and bands, causing damage or even breaking something loose. This also includes bad habits like crunching down on hard foods and hard candy or chewing on things like pens, pencils, and ice.
Cutting back on dark foods and beverages might also be wise. Your natural tooth enamel is more receptive to stains than the ceramic braces. Should the teeth in your smile suffer from significant staining, they might not perfectly match the shade of the ceramic coating. You can still enjoy dark beverages, but you might want to dry drinking them through a straw or brushing your teeth shortly after consuming them.
If you live in the San Diego, California, area and you’re interested in ceramic braces, you should call 858-487-8900 to set up a consultation at San Diego Orthodontic Specialists with Dr. David Li.