Childhood is a crucial period in everyone’s life when they have to acquire proper oral hygiene habits in order to reduce the risk of developing numerous health issues later on in life. Therefore, as a parent, you have the big responsibility of helping your child by teaching them how to take care of their teeth, especially if they’re wearing braces. And, in order to assist you, we have prepared a couple of guidelines on how to do this effectively. Let’s take a look.
Importance of proper brushing techniques
Firstly, teaching your child how to properly brush their teeth is extremely important if you want to prevent cavities and plaque from appearing. First, you will have to explain to them that they have to brush differently and more often now that they have braces. We are sure that they will easily follow these oral hygiene steps if you lead by example and practice with them. Finally, make sure that they repeat this process after each meal in order to prevent the accumulation of food on their braces.
Staying safe while playing
Kids need to be physically active all the time and this constant activity helps their bodies develop normally. However, you have to make sure that they are adequately protected while playing sports such as football or basketball where they can accidentally fall and get injured. And, in order to prevent them from injuring themselves and their teeth, you have to make sure that they’re wearing a mouth guard. At last, in the event of a fall, make sure to first check the condition of their teeth and braces, and contact their dentist immediately for an appointment.
If the braces malfunction
Another important step in protecting your child’s oral health is regular maintenance of the braces. Sometimes, the faultiness of the braces is not a cause for concern, like in the case when one of the wires is sticking out a little bit, since you can easily flatten it back into position by using a spoon. On the other hand, if the malfunction is more serious and many wires are sticking out, don’t try to fix it yourself. Instead, immediately schedule a visit to the orthodontist’s office. Finally, if you truly want to make sure your child grows up without any dental problems, invest in high-quality kid’s braces that are safe, practical and which will give the best results.
Which foods are bad for the braces?
Although braces help your child’s jaw develop correctly, it is necessary to follow a proper diet while wearing them so as not to cause damage to the teeth. For this reason, it’s important for them to stay away from most sticky and hard foods, as well as those high in sugar. For example, not only are caramels and chocolate bars bad for their teeth, but they can stick to the braces making brushing and flossing a nightmare. Additionally, hard foods such as nuts, chips, peanuts and similar can cause the wires to bend and to pull the teeth out of their place. Thus, make sure to carefully balance your child’s diet so that they can relax and not worry about their braces.
After the braces are off
Lastly, once the braces are off and your child can’t stop showing off their new smile, there are a couple of additional steps you have to take in order to prevent dental issues from reoccurring. For example, it’s not uncommon that during this time some minor discoloration on the teeth appears. And, although this may seem like an annoying problem, it can easily be resolved by buying them some whitening toothpaste and strips. Also, sometimes the orthodontist may instruct the child to wear a retainer for a few weeks after the braces are removed. In that case, make sure that they take it off during meals and put it back on afterwards so that their teeth don’t reposition incorrectly. Lastly, don’t forget that regular dentist appointments are mandatory if you want to avoid all possible complications from occurring.
As we can see, it doesn’t require a lot of effort to make sure that the time your child spends wearing braces goes by without a problem. All you need to do is teach them how to properly brush, floss and carefully plan their diet. Finally, don’t shy away from contacting their orthodontist if any problems occur.
