When you make the decision to straighten your teeth by investing in orthodontic treatment, this can be quite a daunting process. This is mainly because it is such a costly investment in some circumstances that you want to ensure it works the first time round. However, even with more affordable options, this can still be as daunting because you’ll still want to ensure everything goes smoothly.
There are various things you can do and rules you can follow which will help you along with your chosen treatment plan. Lucky for you, we have researched for you and brought together a list of the most important rules you should follow as an orthodontic patient. Stay tuned to find out more!
Stick with your treatment plan
One of the first rules you should follow when getting your orthodontic treatment is that you should stick with your treatment plan as much as possible. We say this because, depending on your treatment plan, this might influence how much effort you have to put into your treatment. For example, if you have wire braces, these are usually fixed, and you don’t have to do anything other than attend your appointments with your specialist. On the other hand, if you have night time clear aligners or invisible braces, then it is your responsibility to keep up with the treatment.
When receiving night time aligners, you have to continuously pop them in each night and then take them out in the morning. If you forget to do this more often than not and don’t follow your recommended plan, then this might affect how long you need to continue with the treatment. For your convenience, limiting the amount of time you have the aligners or braces is better, so stick to this rule and you’ll have no regrets.
Be mindful of your diet
Secondly, another good rule to follow when receiving orthodontic treatment is to stay mindful of your diet. From a very young age, we are taught to watch what we eat and to limit the amount of sugar we eat and drink daily. This is very important to consider as an adult even more so because by the time you’re an adult, you’ll only have one set of teeth left.
When we are receiving treatment, staying mindful of how much sugar and bad foods we consume can make all the difference in our treatment plan. For instance, when we have a fixed brace, this can restrict us when cleaning our teeth. Our toothbrush might not be able to reach the places where plaque tends to build up and the more sugar we consume, the worse this is. Staying mindful will make a huge difference so keep this in mind!
Maintain a good hygiene routine
On the topic of oral hygiene, the most important rule to follow when receiving orthodontic treatment is to maintain an excellent hygiene routine. We recommend that you make the necessary investments and make oral hygiene part of your morning and evening routines. One investment you can make is that of an electric toothbrush which is becoming the number one toothbrush option for people across the globe. Essentially, an electric toothbrush will do the work for you and reach the crevices that a manual toothbrush can’t.
Another product you can buy to add to your ideal hygiene routine is that of a water flosser. When we have braces, especially those that are semi-permanently fixed, it can be a lot more difficult to floss and reach the gum line. More often than not, people opt for interdental sticks or floss threaders to get in between the teeth. However, these can be harmful to the gum line and don’t do an excellent job. A water flosser is a great option if you love that clean and fresh feeling and is sure to rid your mouth of all the harmful plaque and bacteria.
Reach out
Finally, our last rule we recommend following when receiving treatment is to reach out to your dental professional when you need some advice. If you have an issue with your treatment, your provider is the best person to contact as they’ll be able to professionally deal with the issue. All too often, we can rely on search engines a little bit too much. However, when it comes to our health, it’s essential that we contact the right people. Therefore, don’t be afraid to reach out for some advice if you need help!
Final thoughts
Overall, this article has discussed some of the different rules you can follow to make the most of your orthodontic treatment. If you follow your treatment plan and keep your teeth and gums clean, then you’re certainly on the way to having a perfectly healthy and straight set of teeth.
