Naughty or Nice? Do’s and Don’ts when wearing braces this Christmas
Now that you have started your orthodontic treatment, caring for your teeth and appliances is vital to ensure the smooth running of your treatment. The temptations over the festive period are widely available from an extra mince pie to your favourite tipple. All can affect the different types of appliances you are wearing.
If you have fixed appliances on, ensure you avoid the bowl of nuts sat on the coffee table and opt for a chocolate as oppose to a caramel or fudge. If you knock a bracket off or pull one of your wires out and it’s causing you discomfort, don’t hesitate to contact the practice.
If you are having extra treats and meals out, take your travel tooth brush with you and ensure you brush after every snack or meal. Be mindful of the initial wear and care instructions that were delivered following your first appointment.
If you are wearing the Invisalign aligner system then enjoy the celebrations but be vigilant in wearing the aligners for the 22 hours required per day. It is so easy to leave them out for a function or a meal out but by the end of the week you could very well of missed out on almost a full days worth of wear. Just a little reminder that only clear, cool, non fizzy drinks should be consumed whilst the aligners are in place too.
Should you have opted for the lingual appliances that are bonded behind your teeth then every time you brush ensure that all the brackets and wires are in situ, should you notice anything loose give the practice a call and we can advise you further. If you note that a bracket has fallen off, please keep safely and bring along to your next appointment, we may be able to rebond otherwise we will have to reorder from our supplier in Germany and it can take around 2 weeks.
Keep your brushing tip top this Christmas, take care cleaning around your brackets and removing any residual debris from underneath your wire.
We hope that you enjoy all your festivities during this Christmas period from all the team at Northenden House Orthodontics!
- Mohammad Malik
