Most patients used to feel guilty about wearing their braces. The reason for this is the negative impression others have of them. Some even called them “Jaws” or “Ugly Betty,” which can affect patients’ self-confidence. However, the stigma surrounding the braces is less than it was a few years ago. Now, patients can finally have their crooked teeth treated without worry with the help of ceramic braces.
What are ceramic braces?
They are dental devices that effectively straighten crooked teeth without metal brackets. Unlike traditional braces, it has a special design that makes it blend in with the patient’s natural teeth. This makes it hardly noticeable.
Although it looks good to have such braces on your teeth, this type of braces stain easily. But how can you avoid this? Here are some practical ways to prevent your invisible braces from staining.
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How to protect your ceramic braces from staining
Practice excellent oral hygiene
It is best to brush your teeth after every meal. This will protect your teeth from food particles that get stuck in the enamel. Therefore, make sure you brush your teeth after a meal to remove all stains and flavors from your mouth.
You should also floss and rinse your mouth to reach the hard-to-reach places in your mouth. If you do not take proper care of your teeth, food color can be left on your teeth, which can lead to discoloration.
Stop smoking
Besides the damage that smoking causes to your lungs, it also ruins your oral health. Smoking causes discoloration on your teeth and also on your ceramic braces. The nicotine produced by smoking gives your bondings a yellow appearance, which makes your smile look unattractive. Smoking also leaves deep stains on your teeth that are difficult to remove.
Avoid foods that cause stains
Fortunately, you don’t have to completely change your diet to avoid staining your braces. There are just a few foods you should avoid, especially if you wear braces. Red colored foods such as fresh tomatoes, beets, and tomato paste can leave color on your clear ceramic braces. You should also stay away from mustard, as it will yellow your brackets. It is also advisable to avoid dark colored drinks, such as coffee and lemonade, to avoid discoloration.
Avoid whitening toothpaste
While white toothpaste may brighten your smile, it does the opposite when it comes to your braces. Whitening toothpaste will certainly whiten your teeth, but it will also discolor your brackets. While you may not notice this immediately, you will see the effects once you have your brackets removed. You will see stains on your teeth where the brackets on the ceramic brackets have been. These stains are the areas of your teeth that the toothpaste did not reach. Therefore, it is best to use regular toothpaste after each meal to keep your brackets stain-free.
Change your ligatures frequently
Unlike self-ligating ceramic brackets, traditional ceramic brackets have ligatures that hold the brackets in place. The ligatures are the elastic bands that are placed around the brackets to guide the teeth in the correct direction. Although the ligatures on your clear ceramic brackets are clear, they will discolor somewhat over time. Therefore, it is highly advisable to replace them frequently to avoid a discolored appearance to your teeth. If you want to create a stylish effect, you can choose elastic bands in different colors. A darker color will match your teeth better and is very resistant to staining compared to other colors.
Taking care of your ceramic braces will help them to remain stain-free for much longer than you might expect. This is why it is best to have your braces checked at a clinic that specializes in ceramic braces in London, Ontario. This way, you can monitor the progress of your braces and achieve a beautiful smile.