Manage Your Dental Problems One Tip at a Time

How To Keep Your Teeth From Being Stained While Wearing Braces

Many people think that getting braces can have a negative impact on the appearance of your teeth, even once they come off. Some people do experience discoloration to their teeth, and may feel self-conscious about the issue. However, you don't have to go through this. If you've never had braces and are considering getting them, here's the easiest way to ensure that your teeth don't end up like that when you're done having them straightened.

Why It Happens

Braces don't harm teeth, and certainly don't do anything to cause stains or discoloration of your teeth. The reason why so many people go through this after their braces come off is because they're made aware of damage that was developing over a long period of time.

When braces brackets cover your teeth, they completely seal off the part of the tooth that they're resting on, as adhesive is used to attach them to the tooth. Once those brackets come off at the end of braces treatment, people often notice that there's a difference between the center of the tooth where the bracket was and the color of the rest of the tooth. This actually means that damage occurred around the braces bracket, and not because of it.

Preventing White Spots

White spots are one common problem people have after wearing braces. These are essentially caused by micro-cavities. While it's usually not severe enough of a problem to require drilling or filling, decay and wear and tear around your braces brackets can leave behind white marks on a tooth.

To keep this from happening, make sure to maintain excellent oral hygiene while you're wearing braces. You should plan on brushing not just over the brackets but above, beneath, and on either side of them, too. This will help to dislodge any food debris and to ensure that it doesn't cause permanent damage to your tooth.

Preventing Stains

Stains are another problem that people experience. Stains on teeth are usually caused by one of two things. The first possibility is that the food and drinks you consume have chemical agents in them that can stain teeth, like tea tannins. The other is that the enamel of the tooth has been worn down by neglect or decay to the point that the yellow or brown part of the tooth that is usually hidden away under the enamel becomes visible.

To avoid these problems, the first thing you should do is maintain your oral hygiene, as said with white spots. You can also avoid foods and drinks that cause staining; your dentist can help you to assemble a list of everything you should avoid.

To keep your enamel from being damaged, make sure that you're extremely gentle with your teeth when you brush them. If you drink or eat something acidic, rinse it off with water and wait a few minutes before brushing. Acids soften tooth enamel and can leave it more vulnerable to the friction of brushing.

With these tips, your future braces will come off and your teeth will look perfectly straight and perfectly white and clean. If you want additional advice on keeping your teeth in good health while you have braces, talk to your orthodontist for more tips.


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