Wearing braces will increase the difficulty of maintaining good oral hygiene. Consequently there will be increased chances of having plaque (food debris and bacteria) accumulation or decay. It is highly recommended to maintain good oral hygiene during Orthodontics with the aid of daily tooth brushing (+/- interdental brush; floss etc). This can be supplemented with daily rinsing with fluoridated mouth rinse or scheduled fluoride treatment as seem appropriate by the orthodontist.

Patients with braces must be careful to avoid hard and sticky foods. They must not chew on pens, fingernails or bones because chewing on hard things can damage the braces. Damaged braces will cause treatment to take longer. Patients should report immediately to the orthodontists should their braces become damaged.

It is important to maintain good oral hygiene during orthodontic treatment to prevent dental decay and gum disease. More time is needed to keep the teeth and braces clean. The orthodontist and staff will teach patients how to best care for their teeth, gums and braces during treatment.

Wearing braces should not affect your gum treatment but may add extra responsibility on you to clean your teeth better. You will require additional cleansing aids and more cleaning appointments with your dentist to up keep with your oral hygiene. In fact, many people elect to go for braces to straighten their crooked teeth so that they can clean and maintain the health of their teeth and gums easier.

These yellow patches are usually the result of poor tooth-brushing during the course of orthodontic treatment and are not related to the braces alone. If food debris and bacteria are allowed to accumulate around the tooth surface for a long period of time without removing them, then the acid produced by the bacteria will damage the tooth surface creating tiny holes. Overtime these tiny holes will trap food debris and turn white or yellow. If the tooth-brushing continues to be poor, then the teeth will decay and fillings would then be required.

Wearing braces alone does not necessarily result in having bad breath, but it does increase the chance of having it. If bad breath occurs during the course of orthodontic treatment, it is usually the result of poor oral hygiene resulting in food accumulation, gum inflammation and in some extreme cases, gum abscess. Consult your orthodontist to find out the cause of it.