Braces can be a wonderful way to improve your smile and help correct your bite. However, they do require additional care and attention when it comes to your oral health. While sugar can negatively affect your teeth normally, excess sugar consumption could damage your braces in Waco, TX, and lead to more decay. Wearing braces does require you to limit your diet to prevent additional damage. However, going a few months without overly sugary foods and drinks could help prevent cavities and improve the effectiveness of your treatment.
How Sugar Affects Braces in Waco, TX
Your mouth plays host to a variety of both harmful and beneficial bacteria. When sugar builds up on your teeth, the bacteria eat it and produce acid. Too much acid in your mouth can weaken your enamel and cause decay to form. When you have braces, it’s even hard to maintain your brushing and flossing, allowing sugar to build up more easily. The acid produced by the bacteria can also damage your braces directly. Avoiding sugary content is one of the best ways to protect your oral health and ensure your braces stay strong and effective.
Decay and Cavities Around Braces
Cleaning your teeth properly when you have braces isn’t easy. The metal brackets and wires can make it difficult to remove plaque and tartar properly, especially around the material itself. Because it’s more difficult to clean your teeth, you can help avoid decay by limiting the amount of sugar you eat with braces. While natural sugars, such as those found in fruits, are better overall, it’s still a good idea not to eat too much of anything with sugar content. Continuing to get professional dental cleanings while in treatment can also help combat plaque and tartar buildup, which could cause damage.
Braces Effectiveness
The acid created by bacteria when they eat sugar doesn’t just affect your enamel. It can also directly damage the metal of your braces and affect the adhesion that keeps the brackets on your teeth. The loss of this adhesion can cause your braces to become looser. This means you’re more likely to need additional tightening appointments to help ensure your treatment is working properly. Too much sugar in your diet could potentially reduce the effectiveness of braces, increasing the amount of time you need for treatment.
Sugar and Invisalign
Avoiding sugary diets while in any kind of orthodontic treatment is key. While Invisalign does allow for greater freedom in your diet, sugar can still cause harm. It’s crucial that you brush your teeth or at least rinse your mouth before putting your aligners back in after eating. If sugar and bacteria are left behind, they can get trapped in your aligners, leading to excessive growth and expedited decay.
Orthodontic treatment can help improve your bite and oral health, but only if you take care of your teeth and gums during treatment. At Fusion Dental & Braces, we work hard to ensure our patients have the knowledge they need to keep up with their oral hygiene. Call us today at (254) 523-4457 to schedule a consultation and learn more about how sugar affects your treatment.