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At Hoybjerg Family Orthodontics, we’re proud to help patients of all ages in Placerville, Modesto, and greater Sacramento achieve beautiful, healthy smiles through affordable orthodontic treatment. But achieving a new smile takes more than just in-office treatment, and how you care for your orthodontic appliances is critical to the outcome of your treatment. Adjusting to life with braces can feel overwhelming at first – and if you’re still unsure of how to make the transition, we’re here to help.

The Most Important Things to Avoid While Wearing Braces

Starting treatment with braces? For many patients, the transition can feel a little overwhelming. But life with braces isn’t so difficult once you get used to it, and to help make the process a little easier, we’ve put together a list of the most important things to avoid when starting out with braces:

• Weak Oral Hygiene: Properly caring for your teeth is vital to the success of your orthodontic treatment, and that all starts with oral hygiene. While wearing braces, you’ll need to be careful to brush your teeth anytime after eating something, at a minimum of four times per day. You’ll also need to floss every day, which will require using a floss threader to get under the archwire.
• Hard & Sticky Food: Another major change of life with braces is your diet. Hard, crunchy, sticky, and gooey foods can all damage brackets and archwires, so you’ll need to avoid them during treatment. You should also minimize sugary foods, which can exacerbate the risk of dental decay.
• Forgetting Your Mouthguard: Athletic patients will be happy to hear that it’s perfectly fine to participate in sports while wearing braces, but anytime you practice or play, it’s vital to wear your custom-made mouthguard. Your mouthguard will protect your teeth and braces in case of a fall, hit, or accident, preventing injuries and damage to your teeth and appliances.

Schedule an Appointment with Your Sacramento, CA Orthodontists

These tips are a great place to start while getting used to living with braces, but it’s important to remember that this is only a partial list. With proper care, your braces will help you achieve a new smile that will last you a lifetime – and if you’re interested in starting the process for yourself or you’d like to schedule an orthodontic check-up, we can help. Take the first step and request an appointment at one of our offices today using our easy online form. We can’t wait to hear from you, and we’re excited to help you achieve your dream smile!