Home Care

Brushing

You will notice that it is much harder to keep your teeth clean with braces. Food compacts in the brackets and between your teeth, and can only be removed by brushing and flossing. If plaque remains on the teeth for any length of time, it will leave a permanent white scar or calcification on the surface.

Brushing after meals should become part of your daily schedule. Use a soft toothbrush with firm pressure and brush at a 45-degree angle to the tooth; brush in small circles above and below the brackets.Your toothbrush will wear out faster because of your appliances, so be sure to replace it whenever the bristles start to fray.

Visual instructions for
both brushing and flossing.

A Waterpik can be a useful addition but it cannot remove the sticky plaque that adheres to the teeth. Electric toothbrushes are great at removing plaque. Flossing is important and should be done every day. The floss threaders are reusable.

Eating Habits

Please do not eat hard foods: nuts, ice, crisp taco shells, whole apples and carrots (cut them into pieces first), hard French bread crust and rolls, spareribs, corn on the cob (cut the corn off the cob before eating), and popcorn! These foods risk breaking brackets and wires. Also beware of nail biting and pen or pencil chewing habits, since these can damage your braces. Do not eat sticky foods: taffy, caramels, bubble gum, or sticky candy of any sort. Use common sense about most foods.

Here's a No No List you can print and attach to the fridge, to help you remember.

Absolutely No

Gum:

Sugarless or otherwise

Sticky Foods:

Caramels
Sugar Daddies
Starbursts
Caramel Apples
Sugar Babies
Licorice
Toffee
Tootsie Rolls
Now & Laters

Hard Foods:

Nuts
Popcorn
Bagels
Apples
Corn on the Cob
Pizza Crusts
Carrots (uncooked)
Doritos
Pretzels

Minimize Sugar Intake

Eat Much Less

Candy
Ice Cream
Cake, Cookies
Pie
Foods with Sugar

Drink Much Less

Pop
Drinks with Sugar

Dr. Pete Bougas Jr DMD PC

Orthodontist

Snellville, GA

770 979-5300