3 Tips For Helping Your Child Care For Their Braces

3 Tips For Helping Your Child Care For Their Braces

In today’s world, having braces is almost a rite of passage for many people. When you haven’t been given straight teeth from the get-go, many find themselves willing to go through the orthodontic process of putting on braces. Generally, braces are first put on during the older child or teenage years. But because kids these ages aren’t necessarily the most responsible, you might be worried about how well your child will take care of this expensive investment. So to help ensure that your money’s well spent and your child comes through the braces phase successfully, here are three tips for helping your child care for their braces.

Create A Braces Kit

Braces can be very uncomfortable at certain points. With all that metal in their mouth, it only makes sense that some things would get sharp or rough or need a little extra care every now and then. So to help your child be more comfortable, Oral B recommends that you help them create a braces kit that they take with them wherever they go. The last thing your child will want is to be without something they need for their braces and feeling uncomfortable in them until they’re able to get home. For this kit, try to gather things like an extra toothbrush, toothpaste, and some floss or flossers that can easily get between their teeth and around their braces. You should also include wax for when the braces rub against the inside of their mouth.

Keep Certain Foods Away

When wearing braces, there are certain foods or types of foods that need to be avoided. Not only can these foods easily get stuck in your child’s braces, but they can actually cause harm to the hardware in their mouth, which could also cause harm to your child and their teeth. According to WebMD, some of the foods you should keep away from your child include foods that are hard to take a bite out of, things that are particularly chewy, and things that could easily get stuck between wires or in brackets. Specific foods on this list are popcorn, taffy, caramels, apples, carrots, nuts, and more.

Make Rinsing A Habit

Oral hygiene becomes even more important when your child starts wearing braces. If he or she doesn’t care for their teeth well, they could develop permanent stains on their teeth where the braces weren’t covering. To keep this from happening, Carol Wiley, a contributor to Colgate.com, suggests advising your teen to make rinsing their mouth a habit. After they eat anything, encourage them to rinse, either with water or mouthwash, so they can get everything out of their braces and keep food from harming their teeth.

If your child is about to get braces, consider using the tips mentioned above to help him or her take great care of them.