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Dr. Glaser says it’s important to keep your braces clean. Food has more hiding spots than usual in your mouth now that there are braces, so you have to be diligent in order to avoid bad breath, swollen gums, discolored teeth and cavities. Keep your oral appearance up to par while wearing braces with these ten tips from Glaser Orthodontics:

One tooth at a time. When you brush, Glaser Orthodontics stresses that you take your time with each individual tooth–At least 10 seconds each–And pay close attention to the spots where your teeth touch your braces.

It’s all about the angles. Brush your top teeth and braces with your brush angled downward, and brush your bottom teeth and braces with your brush angled up.

The tooth, the whole tooth and nothing but the tooth. While the front surface of your teeth may seem like the most logical to clean, Glaser Orthodontics says that it’s equally important to clean the inner and chewing surface of your teeth, your tongue and along your gum line (a key spot for plaque buildup).

Brush after every meal. Food can easily get caught in your braces and in between your teeth. This can lead to tooth decay; also, the longer food is in contact with your teeth, the greater the opportunity for plaque to form. If you can’t brush after every meal then thoroughly rinse your mouth with water.

Make a first aid teeth cleaning kit. Get into the habit of taking a toothbrush, toothpaste and floss with you wherever you go. Design a special container just for your teeth-cleaning tools and keep it in your bag.

Remove the moving parts. If you have elastic bands or headgear, remove these parts before you brush or floss.

Fluoride is your friend. Fluoride helps prevent cavities. Be sure to brush with fluoride toothpaste and rinse with fluoride mouthwash.

Interproximal brushes. Sometimes called proxa brushes or interdental brushes, these cone-shaped brushes come in handy when you need to reach those spots around your braces that standard brushes can’t reach.

Find the floss for you. Regular floss works for some Glaser Orthodontics patients, but others find it easier to work with a floss threader or Superfloss. A floss threader helps you get the floss into those tight places, and Superfloss is an all-in-one product which comes with a stiff end for easy threading, a spongy section for cleaning wide spaces and regular floss for narrow spaces.

Make an appointment with Glaser Orthodontics! Visit Glaser Orthodontics (and your dentist) regularly while doing orthodontic treatment to get a deep, thorough cleaning that only a professional can provide. Also, if you have any concerns about your braces feel free to contact Glaser Orthodontics near Shrub Oak at 914-739-6400. 

Did you know that good oral health is linked to your diet? Glaser Orthodontics near Shrub Oak say to prevent cavities and maintain good oral health examine your diet — what you eat and how often you eat — are important factors. Dr. Glaser says changes in your mouth start the minute you eat certain foods. Bacteria in the mouth convert sugars and carbohydrates from the foods you eat to acids, and it’s the acids that begin to attack the enamel on teeth, starting the decay process. Dr. Glaser warns the more often you eat and snack, the more frequently you are exposing your teeth to the cycle of decay or cavities.

Glaser Orthodontics recommends certain foods that will keep your mouth healthy. The best food choices for the health of your mouth include cheeses, chicken or other meats, nuts, and milk. These foods are thought to protect tooth enamel by providing the calcium and phosphorus needed to remineralize teeth (a natural process by which minerals are redeposited in tooth enamel after being removed by acids).

Other food choices that Glaser Orthodontics includes are firm/crunchy fruits (for example, apples and pears) and vegetables. Dr. Glaser tells us that these foods have a high water content, which dilutes the effects of the sugars they contain, and stimulate the flow of saliva (which helps protect against decay by washing away food particles and buffering acid). All of the food items are available in or near Shrub Oak. Acidic foods, such as citrus fruits, tomatoes, and lemons, should be eaten as part of a larger meal to minimize the acid from them.

Glaser Orthodontics says it is common sense that some poor food choices include candy — such as lollipops, hard candies, and mints — cookies, cakes, pies, breads, muffins, potato chips, pretzels, french fries, bananas, raisins, and other dried fruits. Dr. Glaser warns that these foods contain large amounts of sugar and/or can stick to teeth, providing a fuel source for bacteria. In addition, cough drops should be used only when necessary as they, like sugary candy, contribute to tooth decay.

If you’re looking for good beverage choices, the best choice is water (especially fluoridated water). Dr. Glaser says milk, and unsweetened tea are also good but Limit your consumption of sugar-containing drinks, including soft drinks, lemonade, and coffee or tea with added sugar. Glaser Orthodontics recommends limiting your expose of sugary substances to your teeth.

The team at Glaser Orthodontics is always available to answer any questions regarding your oral health. Contact us at our office near Shrub Oak to get the best oral advice. We work hard on giving you the best smile!

Source: http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/diet-oral-health

Patients in Shrub Oak ask Dr. Barry Glaser Orthodontics if it is more effective to floss teeth with a water pick or standard dental floss. Dr. Barry Glaser of Glaser Orthodontics tells his patients from Shrub Oak that standard dental floss is generally considered the most effective tool for cleaning the tight spaces between the teeth. Dr. Glaser recommends that using the dental floss to scrape up and down the sides of each tooth to remove any unwanted plaque.

A water pick or an oral irrigator is a device that aims a stream of water at your teeth. The team at Glaser Orthodontics says a water pick can help remove food particles from your teeth and might help reduce bleeding and gum disease.  Although a water pick is helpful to remove particles, it is not a substitute for brushing and flossing says Dr. Glaser.

Some patients at Glaser Orthodontics complain that plain dental floss gets stuck in their teeth.  Dr. Glaser recommends trying the waxed variety. If you have a hard time manipulating dental floss, there are many varieties of dental floss holders available in local stores in Shrub Oak and Westchester, NY. Glaser Orthodontics says you can try other products like special brushes, picks or sticks designed to clean between the teeth.  If our patients at Glaser Orthodontics have any questions regarding their oral health, contact Dr. Glaser office in Cortlandt Manor for assistance.