Home Care
Brushing
Oral Hygiene Overview
For a brief overview of oral hygiene tips, please click on the image below. It will launch our flash educational module in a separate window that may answer some of your questions about oral hygiene.
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You will notice that it is much harder to keep your teeth clean withbraces. Food compacts in the brackets and between your teeth, and can only be removed bybrushing and flossing. If plaque remains on the teeth for any length of time, it will leave a permanent white scar on the surface.Brushingafter meals should become part of your daily schedule. Use a soft toothbrush with firm pressure and brush at a 45-degree angle to the tooth and gum; brush in small circles above and below the brackets.Click here for visual instructions.Your toothbrush will wear out faster because of your appliances, so be sure to replace it whenever the bristles start to fray. A Waterpik can be a useful addition but it cannot remove the sticky plaque that adheres to the teeth. Sonicare toothbrushes are very helpful.Flossingis important and should be done every day.
Eating Habits
Hard, crunchy & sticky foods- These can do damage by bending wires, loosening cement under the bands, and breaking off brackets.
Foods high in sugar- If you do enjoy these foods, be sure to brush your teeth after snacking. If you cannot brush, rinse your mouth with water to help remove excess sugar.
Emergency Protocol
We hope that you will not experience an emergency, but if>you do we want you to know we are always available. If there is severe discomfort please page the assistant on emergency call at 713-220-2280. They can clip wires and make you comfortable if there is an emergency. The assistant cannot replace brackets only the Doctor can do this procedure.
Otherwise here are some tips to help you handle common issues until we can get an appointment scheduled for you.
Wire poking in the mouth
• Clip with nail clippers or cuticle clippers
• Bend with the end of a pencil eraser
• Place wax over irritant
Loose bracket
• Place wax over bracket
• Call our office during business hours to change/ schedule an appointment. If your appointment is more than a month away we might schedule you to come in sooner for an additional appointment. In either case please call us so we may allow enough time to perform the repair.
Loose or removable appliances
If possible remove and save the appliance from mouth and call our office during business hours.
Foods not to be eaten Hard Chips: Corn Chips, Cheetos, Ridged Potato Chips Hard Breads and Pizza Crust Caramel and Taffy Please Don't Chew On Ice Whole Nuts (Chopped Only) Corn On The Cob (off the cob is fine) Tough Meats If you are wondering if a particular food is okay to eat,use common sense: If is sticky or crunchy, don't eat it! | Foods to be eaten with care |