A beautiful smile is worth the maintenance

Adjusting to your orthodontic appliance goes beyond the physical changes in your mouth—your oral hygiene will also require some adjustment. Properly taking care of your appliance throughout orthodontic treatment is vital for a healthy smile. The instructions below share more about taking care of braces, Invisalign® clear aligners, or your retainer. If you don’t find the answer you’re looking for, please check in with us. Our experienced orthodontic care specialists are here to make sure you get the best results from your treatment.

Taking care of your teeth during treatment

Excellent oral hygiene with an orthodontic appliance, like braces or Invisalign clear aligners, is essential for keeping your teeth and gums healthy. The right toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss will make it easier to perform the proper ortho dental care. If you need recommendations on these items, please ask! Kristo Orthodontics can help guide your braces care regimen, or Invisalign clear aligners care regimen, and help you select the best products for your teeth and appliance.

Learn brushing and flossing techniques

Brush your teeth three times a day

Brush your teeth three times per day, for three minutes per session. With braces, angle your toothbrush around each bracket and under the wire.

Floss at least once a day

Flossing is essential for maintaining good oral health and should be performed once each day.

Rinse twice a day

Rinse with Crest ProRinse mouthwash twice a day—once in the morning and once after dinner.

Use gum or breath mints with xylitol

Use gum or breath mints containing xylitol four times per day, after meals, for five to ten minutes.

Brush your teeth three times a day

Brush your teeth three times per day, for three minutes per session. With braces, angle your toothbrush around each bracket and under the wire.

Floss at least once a day

Flossing is essential for maintaining good oral health and should be performed once each day.

Rinse twice a day

Rinse with Crest ProRinse mouthwash twice a day—once in the morning and once after dinner.

Use gum or breath mints with xylitol

Use gum or breath mints containing xylitol four times per day, after meals, for five to ten minutes.

Solutions for soreness

Your teeth and mouth may feel a bit tender, sore or irritated during treatment, which is perfectly normal. To help relieve oral tissue discomfort, dissolve one teaspoon of salt in eight ounces of lukewarm water; this will also promote the healing of your mouth. Swish and gargle this solution in your mouth for a few minutes before spitting out. You can also apply wax to your braces to lessen the irritation, and a pain reliever will help with tooth or jaw aches and pains. Your lips, tongue, and cheeks will gradually toughen up, but if needed, we can always give you wax to put over your braces to lessen the tenderness.

More issues and solutions

Protecting your braces while eating

Modern technology may have led to sturdier braces, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take care to avoid foods that could damage your orthodontic appliance. When taking care of braces, softer foods are recommended, especially after an appointment when your mouth may be sore. As a general rule, if you have to question whether you can eat something with your appliance, it’s better to take it slow or avoid it altogether.

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Avoid hard or sticky foods

Sticky foods can get wrapped around your appliances and cause them to break or come loose. Hard foods can break your braces and damage your appliances.

Avoid high-sugar and high-acidity drinks

High-sugar and high-acidity drinks, when mixed with saliva, create plaque—a sticky film that coats the teeth and is difficult to remove completely, even with brushing.

Cut food into smaller pieces

Some foods are fine to enjoy, as long as they’re cut into smaller pieces which won’t damage your braces or appliance. Examples include bagels, carrots, and apples.

Enjoy soft, braces-friendly foods

Many of your favorite soft foods and drinks are perfectly safe with braces or appliances.

Avoid hard or sticky foods

Sticky foods can get wrapped around your appliances and cause them to break or come loose. Hard foods can break your braces and damage your appliances.

Avoid high-sugar and high-acidity drinks

High-sugar and high-acidity drinks, when mixed with saliva, create plaque—a sticky film that coats the teeth and is difficult to remove completely, even with brushing.

Cut food into smaller pieces

Some foods are fine to enjoy, as long as they’re cut into smaller pieces which won’t damage your braces or appliance. Examples include bagels, carrots, and apples.

Enjoy soft, braces-friendly foods

Many of your favorite soft foods and drinks are perfectly safe with braces or appliances.

Caring for your clear aligners

Invisalign clear aligners can easily come on and off, which means you have more flexibility with what you eat and drink, but more responsibility when it comes to keeping track of your appliances and cleaning separately.

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Clean your aligners regularly

Gently clean your aligners with a toothbrush and toothpaste or Retainer Brite®cleaner tablets 1-2 times daily.

Disinfect your aligners every day

You may use EverSmile® WhiteFoam or Steraligner daily to help keep your aligners fresh, whiten teeth, and help with dry mouth.

Keep your aligners safe

Keep your aligners away from pets, boiling water, bleach, denture cleaner, and any other cleaning products. Avoid placing your aligners in a napkin while eating to avoid accidentally throwing them away!

Apply and remove your aligners carefully

When you put your aligners in, make sure they’re securely in place. When removing them, loosen your aligners in several places, and then gently dislodge them.

Clean your aligners regularly

Gently clean your aligners with a toothbrush and toothpaste or Retainer Brite®cleaner tablets 1-2 times daily.

Disinfect your aligners every day

You may use EverSmile® WhiteFoam or Steraligner daily to help keep your aligners fresh, whiten teeth, and help with dry mouth.

Keep your aligners safe

Keep your aligners away from pets, boiling water, bleach, denture cleaner, and any other cleaning products. Avoid placing your aligners in a napkin while eating to avoid accidentally throwing them away!

Apply and remove your aligners carefully

When you put your aligners in, make sure they’re securely in place. When removing them, loosen your aligners in several places, and then gently dislodge them.

Taking care of your retainer is essential to preserving your smile

Orthodontic care doesn’t end once your braces or aligners are removed. Retainers play an essential role in stabilizing the new position of your teeth. The care of your retainers is essential to keeping your teeth in their healthy new condition for a lifetime. With proper care, a retainer should last many years. If you lose your retainer, or if your retainer no longer fits properly, make sure you let your Kristo orthodontist know.

Download packet

Clean your retainer regularly

Carefully scrub the retainer with a toothbrush and a small amount of toothpaste at least once a day.

Apply and remove your retainer carefully

When you put your retainer in, make sure it’s securely in place. When removing it, loosen your retainer in several places, and then gently dislodge it.

Keep your retainer safe

Protect your retainer from heat and pets. Avoid placing your retainer in a napkin while eating to avoid accidentally throwing it away!

Replace your retainer when necessary

Even a well-made retainer will eventually wear out. If your retainer has deteriorated, or it feels different than it did when new, contact your Kristo orthodontist.

Clean your retainer regularly

Carefully scrub the retainer with a toothbrush and a small amount of toothpaste at least once a day.

Apply and remove your retainer carefully

When you put your retainer in, make sure it’s securely in place. When removing it, loosen your retainer in several places, and then gently dislodge it.

Keep your retainer safe

Protect your retainer from heat and pets. Avoid placing your retainer in a napkin while eating to avoid accidentally throwing it away!

Replace your retainer when necessary

Even a well-made retainer will eventually wear out. If your retainer has deteriorated, or it feels different than it did when new, contact your Kristo orthodontist.

Have fun and stay safe
with a free custom mouthguard

If you or your child participates in contact sports or other recreational activities, we recommend you schedule a fitting for a custom athletic mouthguard. These custom mouthguards help keep the mouth, jaw, and teeth safe by providing an exact fit—something an ‘off-the-shelf’ mouthguard isn’t built to do. Custom mouthguards also reduce impact to the head should a collision with another athlete occur.

Get your free mouthguard

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