Easy Ways To Prevent Teeth Stains From Braces | Dentist in Wichita

Because plaque buildup can quickly yellow your teeth, revealing staining spots around areas where your braces were previously placed, many patients attempt whitening their teeth while they still have them on. While this idea is excellent in theory, you should avoid all whitening products while wearing braces! Braces brackets are attached to the teeth with an air-tight adhesive, meaning that whitening products will not affect your teeth underneath the brackets. To avoid over-whitening your teeth and creating an uneven smile once your braces are removed, our dentist in Wichita at Cambridge Family Dentistry recommends waiting to undergo teeth-whitening treatments until your braces are officially off. This includes whitening toothpaste and any other products geared at brightening your smile.

Unfortunately, certain types of foods and drinks can accelerate teeth staining, such as sugary foods and highly acidic beverages. While it can be difficult to eliminate some of these favorite foods from your diet completely, it’s best to be aware of which foods to consume in smaller quantities to avoid staining. Some of the most common items you should avoid include soda, coffee, foods with high sugar contents, and anything with food coloring. Additionally, foods with yellow and red coloring, such as mustard and tomatoes, can easily stain ceramic brackets and your teeth. If you’re going to consume sugar, try to limit the frequency with which you consume it, as it’s not necessarily about the amount you consume at a time but the frequency you consume it. If you don’t have access to a toothbrush, rinse your mouth with water afterward to help neutralize the plaque acids and prevent future staining.

For patients without braces, a good rule of thumb for proper daily hygiene is to brush your teeth twice a day, but when a patient has braces, it is recommended to brush and floss your teeth after each meal. Water flossers are great tools to make this process quick and easy, reaching all of the minuscule crevices around the braces. Allow your enamel enough time to settle (about 30 minutes) and your saliva time to remove any acids remaining before going in with a toothbrush. This helps rid any food debris stuck in your brackets or wires and will lessen your chances of developing dark stains in those hard-to-reach areas.