5 Tips to Properly Care for Your Braces
- Feb 12
- 4 min read
Image by DepositPhotos
Braces bring you closer to a straighter, healthier smile, but taking care of them can be a challenge for those new to the treatment. Properly maintaining your braces is essential to stay on track with your treatment plan, and it also protects your teeth and gums. Whether you're paying out of pocket or using dental insurance for braces, proper maintenance habits may reduce the need for replacement or repair and help keep costs low.
With a few simple habits and a little consistency, caring for your braces can become part of your daily routine. Here are five helpful tips to keep your braces and smile in good shape.
Prioritize oral hygiene
Good oral hygiene is always important, but it becomes absolutely essential when you’re wearing braces. Brackets and wires can easily trap food particles and plaque, which increases your risk of cavities and gum disease around the braces.1 These suggestions can help patients with braces build an effective oral hygiene routine.
Brush your teeth after every meal using a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste.
Some people prefer to use interdental brushes to clean around the brackets and wires.
Don’t forget to gently brush your gumline too.
Use a floss threader or a special orthodontic flosser to get between your teeth and around the wires.
Water flossers can also be a great option if you're looking for a quick clean-up after meals.
Consider using an antimicrobial mouthwash to reduce plaque build-up and keep your breath fresh.
Be mindful of what you eat
Some foods can damage your braces, while others make cleaning your teeth a lot harder. To protect your brackets and wires, try to avoid:
Hard foods like nuts, popcorn, hard candies, and ice
Sticky treats like caramel, taffy, or chewing gum
Crunchy items like chips or crackers
Chewy foods like pretzels or bagels that can tug at your wires
When you first start wearing braces, these food limitations may feel restrictive. However, you can still enjoy braces-friendly foods like soft fruits, cooked vegetables, pasta, yogurt, smoothies, and scrambled eggs.
Avoid bad habits
Certain habits can put unnecessary stress on your braces and potentially damage them or shorten their life. Here are a few habits to avoid:
Chewing your pens or pencils
Nail-biting
Using your teeth as tools (to open packages and bottles)
Chewing ice
Any of these actions can bend a wire or pop off a bracket, which may delay your treatment and potentially add to your costs.
Some habits like smoking or using tobacco can affect your oral health and prolong your treatment process. Smoking can exacerbate plaque build-up in your mouth and increase your risk of gum disease. Additionally, nicotine in cigarettes can also affect blood flow to the gums and negatively impact orthodontic treatment.
Protect your braces as needed
Love outdoor activities and sports? They're great ways to stay active and build community, but they can pose a risk to your braces. Bumps and falls can happen, so it’s a good idea to wear a mouthguard and protect your teeth and braces. Special orthodontic mouthguards are made to fit comfortably over your braces and protect both your teeth and soft tissues, like your lips and cheeks. Even if you're not in a full-contact sport, wearing a mouthguard for activities like skateboarding or mountain biking is a smart precaution. The right mouthguard may help prevent broken brackets, bent wires, or even more serious dental injuries.
See your oral care expert team regularly
Regular visits to your orthodontist enable them to make the necessary adjustments to your braces, check your progress, and fix any issues before they become bigger problems. In addition to orthodontic checkups, keep seeing your regular dentist for cleanings and exams. Professional cleanings help remove plaque and tartar from those hard-to-reach areas and ensure your gums stay healthy during your braces treatment.
If something doesn’t feel right, such as a pesky loose wire or a bracket that’s irritating your cheek, don’t wait until your next scheduled visit. Call your orthodontist so they can make repairs and keep your treatment on track. Don’t hesitate to contact your dental care providers if you have additional questions about caring for your braces, oral hygiene with braces, payment plans, or orthodontic insurance.
Image by DepositPhotos
The bottom line
Braces are gaining popularity with adults as people seek to perfect their smile and improve oral health.2 But caring and maintaining your braces is a crucial part of getting the results you want without extending your treatment. With the right habits and attention, you can keep your braces in great shape and stay on track for a healthier, more confident smile.
Sources:
1 MyHealth.Alberta.ca - Learning About Dental Care with Braces. Updated July 31, 2024. https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/aftercareinformation/pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=abq2660. Accessed June 12, 2025.
2 British Dental Journal - The demand for tooth straightening among adults continues to rise. Updated 10 January 2025. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41415-025-8300-8. Accessed June 12, 2025.
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