If you have finally gotten your much-needed braces as an adult, you may wonder what you can do to help maintain them while you are on the job. If so, use the following tips for keeping your dental braces clean while you are at work.

Take a Braces Care Kit to Work

Without braces, you probably already brush two or three times a day. However, now that you have braces on your teeth, you need to be more meticulous about brushing your teeth more often, and keeping on a strict schedule to ensure that food and bacteria do not build up around the brackets or under the wires.

To make it easier to brush your teeth during your lunch hour, create a small braces care kit that you can take to work with you. While packing the kit, include a small, soft toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss threaders. You may also want to include a proxa brush in case something gets stuck under a wire.

If you know that some days will be hectic and you will be pressed for time, include a small bottle of mouthwash that you can use to quickly clean your teeth after eating. Even if you do not have any mouthwash, at least rinse your mouth with water to remove any large food particles. Then, when you get a few minutes, or you get home, brush your teeth for a more thorough cleaning.

Stay Away From Hard or Chewy Foods

If you have a break room or kitchen at your workplace where people bring in baked goods from home, it can be easy to forget about your braces and start munching on whatever goodies are available. However, since you do have braces now, you need to be more mindful of every bite that you take, avoiding any foods that are hard or chewy.

Before you eat something, think about the consistency of the food you are about to enjoy. Not all hard or chewy foods will be as obvious as eating caramels or candies.

For example, breads that have a hard crust and a chewy interior fall into both categories. If you bite into a piece of this type of bread, the hard crust could dislodge a wire, while the chewy center can become caught under a wire or bracket, requiring you to clean your teeth right away.

Using the above tips can help you take care of your braces while you are at work and away from home. For more information about taking care of your adult braces, speak with your orthodontist who can give you personalized advice. Contact a company like Donald E. Snyder Orthodontics for more tips.

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