Are there special precautions or restrictions regarding dental care and diet during orthodontics treatment?
Regular dental care with the patient’s dentist and hygienist is more important than ever during orthodontics therapy. We cannot do an adequate exam every time we see someone for an orthodontics visit. The services from these other dental professionals need to continue on at least a normal schedule, and sometimes more frequently, while orthodontics proceeds. Orthodontics patients should brush and floss properly, the technique for which we review with our patients, and use fluoride rinses and, occasionally, prescription strength fluoride gels, especially at bedtime. Plaque accumulation around braces and the associated risks to the teeth and gum tissues are avoidable, but the patient (and parents, when appropriate) has the most and ultimately decisive control over keeping the mouth healthy during orthodontics. Frequent, and especially prolonged, use of sugared foods such as sugar-sweetened chewing gum or mints and candies, soft drinks, and sports drinks add a lot of additional risk. Even
