At Heroes Dental we’re just as excited as you are to welcome in the summer.
Many professionals and students alike will once again enjoy the rest and relaxation that the season brings with it. From deliciously lazy days at home to breezy weekends at the beach, everything seems to be a little more easy going and the days feel a little less stressful.
This means that even those important events, like routine checkups with your favorite Heroes Dental orthodontists, are easier to manage as well. Here at Heroes Dental, we care about your smile as much as you do and we’d like to share a few tips on taking proper care of your braces this summer.
Brush your teeth 2-3 times a day.
Braces require some adjustment at first, but regardless of the discomfort you may feel, it is still recommended that you brush your teeth at least three times a day. While you’ve probably heard this advice many times before, it is especially important when you have braces.
It is very easy for food to get stuck in your brackets and along the wires without you even noticing. Failing to adequately take care of this problem can eventually lead to plaque, gingivitis, tartar, bad breath, and more.
It’s definitely easier to keep up with this routine if you remember to carry with you a small traveling toothbrush. Carrying a travel kit will allow you to brush your teeth each time after eating – regardless of where you are.
Keep this additional secret in mind: rinsing your mouth with water before brushing your teeth makes it easier for the food caught on your braces to loosen up.
Don’t chew on ice (and other things).
Unfortunately, while ice is especially refreshing during our scorching summers here in South Texas, it is in fact strong enough to break the bracket and wires of your braces. Chewing on ice won’t only damage your braces, but it can also cause enamel erosion.
In an effort to best protect your braces and pearly whites, it’s recommend that besides avoiding chewing ice, you should also avoid crunching down on hard candies, chips, hard vegetables and fruits, and even pen caps or any other item that has the potential to pull on wires and brackets, which can negatively affect your orthodontic treatment.
It’s not only hard substances that can cause issues; beware chewy candies that tend to be sticky, as they have a tendency to be acidic, and when stuck to your teeth can cause decay and erosions.
But don’t think you have to give up all those healthy, crunchy treats like apples for breakfast or corn on the cob for lunch. The solution is to cut fruits and veggies into easy-to-chew, bite-sized pieces. And always keep in mind that you don’t have to eliminate ice from your drinks because of your braces – you just shouldn’t chew it.
Don’t skip your dentist appointments.
You’ll be seeing your dentist more often once you have braces and your orthodontic experts at Heroes Dental will be there to help guide you through every step of the process. It’s very important that you always attend your follow-up appointments and visit your dentist when recommended to ensure everything is in place and that the process is going as it should.
After all, the ultimate goal of your Heroes Dental orthodontist is to give you a smile that you’ll truly love.
With convenient locations in Mission, Laredo, San Juan, Pharr, and Edinburg, we’re never too far from you this summer.
If you’re interested in starting your orthodontic treatment this summer, contact Heroes Dental at any of our convenient locations throughout the Rio Grande Valley and South Texas.
Our expert orthodontic team will walk you through every step of the process and can even recommend alternative options that can also be used to treat you.
Heroes Dental also wants to remind you to have a safe and memorable summer, and to let your smile shine the whole time through!