April 2, 2019
It’s no surprise that good oral hygiene is important to anyone’s smile, as well as their general health and well-being. However, when braces are introduced into the equation, not only is it more difficult to maintain a healthy mouth, but it is even more important to do so, paying attention to healthy dental habits that will ensure your success long after those brackets come off.
Here at Southshore Orthodontics, we see it as our responsibility and privilege to steward your orthodontic care here in our offices, however, we would be doing our patients a disservice if we didn’t stress the importance of in-home care and the patients’ responsibility to take the best care of themselves after they leave our office.
Fortunately, we’ve all been given a fantastic initial indicator of poor dental hygiene: bad breath. You may be asking yourself, how is bad breath a good thing? Well, it’s really our first “tell” that dental hygiene may be lacking – and it’s a great barometer to understand oral health. If you can maintain great breath, by brushing and flossing twice a day, you will ensure a healthy mouth for years to come. Proper dental health is also fantastic preventative medicine that can help you avoid costly procedures or health problems later in life. Keeping a clean mouth and healthy gums are the best way to maintain overall good health because conditions such as heart disease, dementia, diabetes, and infertility can be attributed to poor dental hygiene and gum disease.
Having good oral hygiene and dental health is hard enough these days with busy lives and fast-paced lifestyles – so we understand that adding the increased responsibilities of orthodontics can be difficult to maintain. We at Southshore Orthodontics know how hard it can be to manipulate that toothbrush to get it in-between your braces. We get that normal brushing just doesn’t cut it. The struggle is real, and we are here for you to get you through it! Allow us to be your cheerleaders – encouraging you to do the work, and “brace” yourselves for some hard work ahead to really take care of your mouth and teeth during your orthodontic journey.
Taking the best care now will lead to the best case scenario – and a happy and healthy smile for the rest of your life. And it is our pleasure to guide you every step of the way. So, if you ever need a refresher course, or an additional discussion over the importance of orthodontic oral hygiene or helpful tips and tricks to keep those braces clean, give us a call. Whether you are a current patient: (813) 815-0080 or a new patient: (813) 448-7900 – you can also contact us online here. We look forward to seeing you!