Cavities are the most prevalent oral health concern, with 90 percent of adults between the ages of 20 and 64 having at least one. When you have braces, the risk of cavities becomes more of a concern than normal because oral hygiene isn’t easy with brackets, wires, and bands getting in the way. However, cavities with braces aren’t inevitable when you follow proper oral health tips for braces and an orthodontic treatment-approved diet.
Oral Hygiene Struggles with Braces
Braces help make for beautiful smiles that are much easier to clean. Ultimately, they’re cavity preventers in the long run. However, there’s absolutely an initial setback with all that hardware hindering where your toothbrush can reach and how well you can floss. It can be even more challenging with a child who may not have the dedication to care for their teeth properly.
Besides the challenge of brushing effectively with braces, cavities are also common because food particles can get stuck around the wires and brackets, giving bacteria what they need to flourish. And you may not notice those tiny red flags that indicate a problem is brewing below the surface.
A Quick Oral Care Guide for Brace Wearers
Your oral hygiene while you’re wearing braces doesn’t have to be overly complex. With a few tips, you can keep cavities at bay while achieving a dream smile.
Brushing and Flossing with Braces Made Simpler
Of all the oral health tips for braces, brushing and flossing daily is at the top of the list. At least once per day, floss and get between your teeth as well as you can. Make it a point to brush your teeth three times per day, once after each meal.
Be sure to brush at a 45-degree angle, facing the brush downward, and going between and around the brackets and wires. Brush in a circular motion right over the brackets and wires as well. Get the backs of your teeth thoroughly, especially if that’s not part of your routine already. Braces make this portion of your teeth more susceptible to decay than usual.
While you’ll naturally take longer to brush around your braces, aim to brush for at least three minutes, as opposed to the recommended two, to really keep your teeth healthy and clean while you’re straightening them.
After you’re done brushing and flossing, always rinse your mouth thoroughly with water to remove any remaining food or debris. To really up your oral hygiene game, finish the process off with a fluoride mouthwash. It further assists with getting rid of particles, and it even gives the remineralization process your teeth go through a boost.
Creating a Diet Plan Specific to Your Current Oral Care Needs
Ideally, you want to limit sugar, but if you have a sweet tooth, it’s time to keep those treats to just that — occasional treats that you rinse your mouth out well after eating. Sugar and braces just don’t mix. As it remains on or behind your wires and brackets, it’s feeding any bacteria that can cause decay.
Taking that one step further, it’s helpful to know which foods to avoid with braces, outside of just sugary foods. Examples include the following:
- Hard foods like nuts
- Chewy breads, including bagels and pizza crust
- Sticky foods like chewing gum
- Corn on the cob and whole apples
Staying on Top of Your Dental Visits
If you truly want to avoid cavities with braces, you need to visit the dentist regularly throughout the time you’re wearing them. Not only can these visits help if you’ve happened to eat some foods you should avoid with braces, but they’ll give your dentist a chance to remove any trapped plaque and detect problems early before they have an opportunity to turn into cavities.
Drinking Water Is Even More Vital Now Than Before
You’ve heard that eight glasses of water per day is key to good health. While this recommendation has changed a bit over the years and is now based on your weight, drinking enough water each day is even more necessary than before when you have braces.
That water will continuously rinse out your mouth to remove food particles. Fluid also limits bacterial growth because a hydrated mouth means you have more saliva to fight bacteria. Fluoridated water helps to strengthen teeth as the water dilutes acid to prevent erosion.
What to Do if You Develop a Cavity with Braces
Let’s say you were diligent about following these oral health tips for braces. However, you notice a cavity anyway. Don’t panic. Instead, get on the phone with your dentist because you don’t have to wait for treatment. The same concept applies if the dentist finds decay you didn’t know you had. Getting a filling won’t delay your treatment one bit.
We definitely don’t recommend waiting because cavities only progressively get worse. They become harder to treat — and more expensive.
For the process, your dentist will have to carefully work around the brackets and wires to remove any decay and fill the tooth. Sometimes, your dentist will refer you back to us to remove a bracket temporarily.
Dr. Rael Bernstein and Dr. Monique Heron of Bernstein Orthodontics, with offices in Santa Rosa and Windsor, CA, are all about helping patients of all ages achieve smiles that are healthy and beautiful. They want you to know that cavities with braces don’t have to be a thing. Just know that sugar and braces are foes, and there are certain foods to avoid with braces besides sweet ones.
Don’t have braces yet? Or are you looking for a new orthodontist? Schedule a free consultation today. We offer modern braces and Invisalign, and we’ll help you keep your teeth healthy throughout your treatment process.
FAQs
We hear patients on a regular basis asking questions about cavities with braces. We’ve heard and are here to answer your most commonly asked questions.
1.Can I Get Cavities While Wearing Braces?
Yes. Unfortunately, it’s a common issue because your teeth are harder to take care of with braces, and food particles have more places to remain against the teeth.
2.How Can I Prevent Cavities with Braces?
Brush your teeth thoroughly after each meal. Get around the brackets and wires and go over the top of them as well to clean as much of each tooth’s surface as possible.
3.Can I Get a Filling if I have Braces?
You can get fillings if you have braces. The dentist will work around the brackets and wires or recommend that your orthodontist remove a bracket temporarily.
4.What Happens if a Cavity Is Left Untreated?
If you let a cavity go, it’ll only get bigger over time and damage more enamel. The cavity could also reach the tooth root and cause you to need a root canal. A cavity that’s not painful now could cause pain in the future. And the cost to treat it only goes up as it worsens.
5.Will Cavities Affect My Braces Treatment?
When you have a cavity treated promptly, it usually won’t interfere with your treatment. Whenever a cavity remains and worsens, it could increase your treatment time or require you to receive an adjustment.