You can make the most of your orthodontic care by following simple guidelines for caring for your braces. Please feel free to contact Dr. Ewing for more information.

• How to Care for Your Braces and Oral Health
• Oral Hygiene
• Foods to Avoid
• Emergencies

Proper care throughout treatment will help ensure excellent and timely results.

• Brushing - You should brush with fluoride toothpaste three times a day. You can also use a fluoride rinse (such as PreviDent^®). Make sure to brush above, below, and around each bracket and behind the teeth.
• Flossing - Flossing is important because it removes bits of food and plaque that brushing can't reach to keep your gums healthy and prevent tooth decay. Be sure to floss between each tooth under the archwire. Specialized brush tips are available at your local drugstore.
• Routine Dental Visits - We recommend that you schedule regular visits with your general dentist, every six months, for an oral examination and cleaning while you are wearing braces. Contact Ewing Orthodontics office if you need more information on oral hygiene practices to make the most of your orthodontic treatment.

Certain foods can cause damage to your braces. We recommend not biting into anything with your front teeth; instead, cut it up and chew with your back teeth. Always avoid hard, crunchy and chewy foods, including:

• Bubble gum (sugarless stick gum is okay to chew)
• Chewy candy (e.g., Fruit Roll-Ups®, caramel, caramel apples, licorice, jelly beans, and Starburst®, Now and Later®, and Tootsie Roll® candy)
• Hard candy, candy bars with caramel or nuts (e.g., peanut M&M's^®)
• Frozen ice cream, frozen candy bars, hard-packed snow cones
• Nachos and hard tacos (e.g., Doritos^®, corn chips, tostados)
• Corn on the cob (cut the corn off the cob)
• Pickles, unless sliced or cut into spears
• Chicken and ribs, unless meat is first removed from the bones
• Ice

In addition, please avoid habits such as thumb sucking, nail biting, and chewing on pens.

Even if you are careful, it is possible for an occasional bracket to break, or a wire to start poking your mouth. If this should happen, please call our office to schedule a repair if needed.

Even with the best care, a bracket or wire might slip from time to time. For any problems with your braces, call Dr. Ewing to schedule a repair.