La Habra/Chino Hills, CA – Whether you are starting the new year off in braces or if you’ve had them for a while, it’s always a good idea to take inventory of what you can do to ensure your time in braces is successful. Dr. Robert Gire, a La Habra/Chino Hills orthodontist at Gire Orthodontics, offers some tips on how to ensure you and your braces start the new year off on the right foot.

“We want all of our patients to have an experience that is as enjoyable as possible,” says Dr. Gire. “And that means there are some things you can do to help make that happen.”

1. Make your toothbrush your best friend! Carry a travel toothbrush and toothpaste with you wherever you go. Brushing after meals and snacks will ensure that no food debris is left in or on your brackets and wires. Your braces will create lots of nooks and crannies for food to get stuck, so brushing after eating will not only ensure you have better oral health, it can also help you avoid an embarrassing situation.
2. Floss! We know flossing with braces can be a bit tricky, but trust us – it’s more important than ever. Flossing will help you avoid gum disease and other oral health problems that could spell trouble for your orthodontic treatment. Moving your teeth to new locations requires a healthy mouth and if you slack on caring for your teeth, it may impact your treatment. Dr. Gire and his staff provide you with floss threaders to make flossing as easy as possible.
3. Just say no! There are foods we ask you to avoid for a reason and we promise it’s not to make your life harder! It’s simply because we want to prevent your brackets and wires from getting damaged. Eating foods that are too hard, sticky, chewy, etc. can cause your brackets to break off or they can damage your wires.
4. Chew with your back teeth. You may be used to biting into apples or corn on the cob with your front teeth, but doing that with braces on can damage the brackets. Instead, cut larger foods or things like apples and corn on the cob into smaller bites and chew with your back teeth.
5. Follow your orthodontist’s instructions. We promise we aren’t trying to make your life more difficult. When we tell you to wear rubber bands, please wear them. They’re prescribed to achieve your optimal smile and bite. If you don’t wear them as directed, you may find yourself in braces for longer than you anticipated.

By following these tips, Dr. Gire hopes your time in braces will fly by. To schedule a complimentary consultation, please contact Dr. Gire’s office at 562-690-1199 (La Habra) or 909-393-9911 (Chino Hills). Working together, we can help you enjoy your beautiful new smile in no time!