Blog: Common issues during orthodontic treatment - Bad breath

 

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Orthodontic treatment certainly helps in achieving a bright, beautiful smile. The time you spend wearing braces and the efforts you put for getting used to the braces is actually an investment for getting good health and confident smile. However having braces on your teeth can be a challenging task in your life. Challenges are not limited to just having to adopt braces, but you have to also keep yourself away from bad breath.

 

This blog tries to address bad breath issue. There's no reason for you to believe you have to accept bad breath just because you are undergoing orthodontic treatment.

 

Here are some Fresh Breath Tips From Hatherley Dental Surgery:

 

 

Choice of Food:

 

Here are some of the food items causing bad breath during orthodontic treatment:

 

• Garlic and onions.
• Coffee and alcohol.
• Sticky foods, for example chocolate.
• Foods that are loaded with sweetness can contribute to bad breath.
• Beverages having sugar contents.

 

Chewing sugarless gums acts as remover of food and dead cells from teeth, gums and tounge. Not just that, it promotes production of salvia. We encourage you to discuss with our team the type of food you should take during orthodontic treatment.

 

 

Stay Hydrated

 

Water not only flush the mouth but also produces salvia, which acts as a constant cleansing agent. It dissolves substance of food and drink from your mouth. A continuous dry mouth leads to bad breath as it reduce production of saliva which removes bacteria and excess food from your mouth - both of which cause bad breath.

 

 

Brush often

 

Brush your teeth and tongue twice a day. If possible brush teeth with fluoride toothpaste first thing in the morning and before you go to bed. This removes food particles and bacteria that cause bad breath. Not just teeth, you should brush your tongue as well because tongue holds a lot of bad smell bacteria which can causes bad breath. You should brush your tongue gently without being harsh on it.

 

 

Flossing

 

Flossing with braces might seem tricky, but it is a necessity. Ask our team at Hatherley Dental Surgery to teach you the best way to floss effectively with braces. Flossing can remove plaque and bacteria from between your teeth, where your toothbrushes can't reach. Flossing should be done at least once a day to avoid bad breath during orthodontic Treatment.

 

 

Mouthwash Use

 

Mouthwash generally provides a temporary cure for bad breath, but sometimes it acts well to get away from being noticed for bad breath. An antiseptic mouthwash acts better as it kills bad bacteria. It works more than just an ordinary mouthwash. Look for mouthwashes with hlorhexidine, cetylpyridinium chloride, chlorine dioxide, zinc chloride and triclosan, or if you are confused, use the mouthwash recommended by our dentist for the best results. You should swish the mouthwash around in your mouth for 30 seconds. Mouthwash certainly help to avoid bad breath during your orthodontic treatment.

 

 

Smoking or chewing tobacco

 

Bad breath is one of the side effects of smoking and tobacco apart from many other life threatening effects that smoking and tobacco cause. Smoking and tobacco should be strictly avoided to keep away from bad breath and severe deceases like Cancer.

 

 

Together, you and our team at Hatherley Dental Surgery, can keep your mouth healthy and fresh during and after your orthodontic treatment.