Summer has made its arrival. It brings with it lazy afternoons at the pool and family getaways, as well as delicious food. To ensure your participation in all those events, the Texas Association of Orthodontists (TAO) is committed to protecting both your braces and your smile.
Sports and Summer
Everyone wants to be able to participate in those outdoor activities that make summer so enjoyable. Whether you are jumping while playing frisbee, diving while playing volleyball or running while playing baseball and soccer, you should be wearing your mouthguard. Its purpose is to protect your braces and teeth from sustaining a serious mouth injury that could become rather expensive.
Treats and Summer
During the summer, a variety of food always seem to end up in our mouths. However, braces should make you think twice about which food you should be consuming. Certain food like ice, hard candy, popcorn, pretzels and corn can pose a threat to your braces. As such, you should keep your distance from them.
It is also a good idea to keep your consumption of sweets to a moderate level. While it may be hard to contain your cravings for those delicious cookies, pies and treats from the fair or carnival, you must do so because otherwise, you could find yourself making an unexpected trip to the orthodontics office. Those types of food can get stuck in your braces or possibly cause a bracket to break. A safer choice of food to eat would be fruits like pears, apples and other hard fruits. However, they need to be cut into smaller pieces before you eat them.
Oral Hygiene
Maintaining good oral hygiene should be a priority for everyone, especially if you are wearing braces. Preventing cavities from occurring should also be a priority. Overindulging in sweets is never a good idea. However, this could be avoided if you were to brush and floss your teeth after eating sweets. And, to keep food particles from entering your braces, gums and teeth, you should drink lots of water.
Maintain Your Routine
During summer, it can be rather difficult to maintain a ritual regarding the proper way to care for your mouth and teeth. But, it can be done. Just continue to brush your teeth either twice daily or three times daily. And, remember to floss every day as needed. We want to make certain that nothing interferes with your smile this summer.
Summer Traveling
No matter where you are, you should always be conscious of your oral health. Neglecting your oral health could lead to serious problems, which could adversely affect the time frame for your braces. Therefore, it is important that you remember to take certain items with you while packing for your summer travels. One of those items is an oral hygiene care kit. The following items should be included in this kit:
- Floss
- Toothpaste
- Toothbrush
- Floss picks or toothpicks
- A Small mirror (To inspect your mouth if discomfort were to occur)
- Mouthwash (Travel size)
- An additional aligner tray
- Orthodontic wax (Inner mouth protection from wire discomfort)
The above-mentioned items should be enough to get you through your summer trips. However, if an emergency were to arise, you should be prepared to take action. Prior to leaving, you should make a list of the orthodontic offices that are located in the cities or towns where you will be visiting. If you are traveling in Texas, you can search the online directory of the Texas Association of Orthodontists website.
Summer should be enjoyed by all, and the TAO wants everyone to experience a wonderful summer keeping a beautiful smile on your faces at all times.
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