So, you’ve just had your lingual brace fitted and you can leave it to work its magic for the next few months…..BUT – you the patient will need to play your part too, as by maintaining your brace, you are ensuring that your treatment is the most effective it can possibly be.
Here is our guide to looking after your lingual brace during treatment….
- Clean your teeth after each meal and before going to bed. This will take longer than the normal 2 minutes, as the appliance makes it quite challenging to reach your tooth surfaces and certain corners of your mouth. You will need a small ‘interspace’ toothbrush as this will allow you to clean in between your teeth and under the appliance wire, reaching the food particles that become lodged. You should also remember to clean above the brace so as to keep your gums healthy. Try to get into the habit of keeping your brace clean from day one and when you’re due for a check-up, clean your teeth before you attend.
- Using fluoride mouthwash each night after you brush will give your mouth a deep clean and help remove particles.
- Avoid eating solid foods that are hard to break down such as toffee, caramel and confectionary as well as crusty bread and crackers. The latter foods prevent the production of saliva which helps cleanse your mouth – without saliva, your mouth will struggle to wash away bad bacteria.
- Avoid sugary foods as these will stain your brace and your teeth, as well as cause potential cavities.
- If you experience pain, please do let us know as we can prescribe a mild analgesic such as ibuprofen to deal with this – eating softer food swill also help keep pain at bay.
Maintaining good oral hygiene during treatment is essential to a successful brace treatment. A poor diet will cause the build up of plaque and tartar and could jeopardise your treatment as well as lead to tooth decay and gum disease. If you need additional advice about how to look after your teeth when your wearing lingual braces, please do not hesitate to contact us.
If you would like to arrange a consultation to talk about treatment for lingual braces, please contact us and we can arrange this for you.