How to Care for Traditional Wire Braces

Traditional braces sometimes referred to as orthodontic braces, dental braces, and wire braces, are a great option for people to straighten misaligned teeth effectively. Depending on the patient’s care, wire braces yield permanent results for patients who suffer from underbites, overbites, cross bites, crooked teeth, and other structural issues. Although braces are most often known to create a straighter, more aligned smile for patients, braces function as both a cosmetic dental procedure as well as a structural solution.

While there are exceptions, traditional braces are generally installed for 12-30 months and customized for individual needs. Maintaining pristine oral health during the treatment is crucial to the overall dental health. Patients need to clean their teeth properly and protect their mouth from decay, bacteria, and demineralization while wearing braces. For more information about metal braces, please follow the link to the American Dental Associated sponsored site, Mouth Healthy, by clicking HERE.

How to care for traditional wire braces:

• Brush for 2-3 minutes twice a day
  • Make sure to brush under the wire to remove food particles and bacteria
• Floss at least once a day
  • Thread the floss in between brackets to clean in between each tooth and prevent periodontal diseases
• Wire Brush
  • Use a wire brush to clean the brackets and wires of excess food
• Use mouthwash once a day to freshen breath
• Avoid drinking sodas regularly; keep them for special, rare occasions
• Avoid eating sticky or chewy foods (i.e. taffy, popcorn, caramel, etc.)
• Avoid eating hard foods (i.e. apples, carrots, celery, nuts, etc.)

Most importantly, while you or a loved one wears braces, make sure to schedule and attend all regular dentist and orthodontist visits. Both dentists and orthodontists work to provide complete oral care for straight, white, and healthy smiles. Orthodontists will make sure that patients’ results are going according to schedule, making adjustments as needed, while dentists will remove bacteria, plaque, and tartar from the teeth.

By Alexander Ash, DDS

Dr. Ash is the founder of Studio Dental Care. He earned his Doctorate at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry, followed by two General Residencies at New York-Presbyterian / Weill-Cornell Hospital and the UCLA Sepulveda VA Hospital.