How to Avoid Staining Your Teeth with Braces

If you’re going through orthodontic treatment with braces, you’re no doubt looking forward to when you can get your braces off and see your bright, beautiful new smile. However, if you don’t take the right steps to take care of your teeth, you can end up unveiling teeth with more than one tone rather than a crisp new smile. Here’s how to avoid staining your teeth while you have braces.

Brush After Every Meal

A good form of insurance that your teeth will not stain while you have braces or Invisalign is to brush your teeth every time you consume something other than water. Every time you eat a meal or have a snack, make sure you thoroughly brush your teeth. This may require you to take a toothbrush and toothpaste with you when you normally wouldn’t have before. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to avoid damaging your gums and orthodontic appliances.

Don’t Whiten Your Teeth When You Have Braces

It may seem like a good idea to whiten your teeth if you want to see a bright smile when you get your braces off, but this is something you’ll want to avoid. Since your teeth are covered by brackets, any whitening substances, including bleaching kits or teeth whitening toothpaste, won’t be able to reach underneath your brackets. This will leave you with two-toned teeth when your braces are removed rather than a clean-looking smile. Even if you have Invisalign, this could be a problem if you have attachments, since you could end up with spots underneath these attachments when they are taken off.

Avoid Foods That Stain

During your time with braces, you can also avoid staining your teeth by removing foods and drinks from your diet that are likely to stain your teeth. One of the biggest culprits of teeth-staining is coffee, which may be a tough drink to avoid. If you must drink coffee, just remember to brush right after. Foods with colorful sauces are also likely to leave stains on your teeth, including tomato-based sauces, barbeque sauce, mustard, or curry. Again, if you do consume any of these foods, just remember to brush your teeth right away.

Don’t Forget to Floss and Use Mouthwash

Brushing your teeth will be a great way to avoid staining most of the surface of your teeth, but you should also remember to floss every day and to rinse with mouthwash. Flossing is an essential part of oral hygiene that will prevent tooth decay and gum disease, and it also will prevent any staining around the edges of your teeth. Using mouthwash will get all of the nooks and crannies that brushing and flossing might miss, ensuring every surface of your teeth is clean and stain-free.

During your treatment, you can also avoid staining your teeth by keeping up with your regularly scheduled checkups and cleanings with your dentist. Contact our office today to learn more about life with braces and to schedule a free consultation.