When you are wearing braces taking care of your teeth and gums becomes extra important. You must brush and floss your teeth regularly and be gentle to avoid damaging the wires and brackets as well as your teeth and gums.

It is recommended you use a soft head toothbrush and a fluoride toothpaste. It is highly encouraged that you brush and floss after every meal this recommendation means food is less likely to get stuck in your braces and decreases the chances of plaque build-up.

• Sticky, chewy or hard foods such as Caramels, gummy candy, liquorice
• Crunchy food, like popcorn or ice
• Hard Foods, like nuts, hard pretzels
• Sugary Food, like candy and soft drink
• Foods you need to bite into, like corn on the cob, apples, uncooked carrots
• Also be aware of not chewing pens, pencils or fingernails

Remember too much force when flossing can cause damage to your braces. Be gentle and work it slowly back forth between the teeth and braces.

Having Braces on your teeth means you need to pay a little more attention to your mouth, if  brackets or wire becomes loose, you need to see your orthodontist right away to get it fixed.

Braces will require special care to keep them happy!