You’ve invested a considerable amount of money in braces to make your child’s or your own smile as beautiful as it can be. You certainly don’t want to unwittingly sabotage that investment by eating the wrong foods and failing to properly care for your teeth and braces. Teeth with braces DO require a little extra care. However, you can help your children’s dentist keep their teeth healthy by encouraging your kids with braces to follows these easy tips:

1. 1. Learn to brush right. Brushing your teeth with braces takes a little extra effort. Make sure to brush at least twice a day or after every meal. Begin by brushing the area between the gums and the wires, holding the brush at a 45-degree angle and then move to the inside of the teeth. It’s a good idea to divide your mouth in quarters when you brush, like the dentists do. That way you won’t spend more time on one area and ignore another. Spend approximately 30 seconds on each section. Rinse after brushing and inspect your mouth in the mirror for any food particles that may have been missed.
2. 2. Make sure to floss. Flossing is extra important to people with braces. There are so many additional places where food particles can hide. If your kids don’t already know how to floss, make sure to add it to their daily teeth-cleaning routine.
3. 3. Consider an electric toothbrush. A gentle, electric toothbrush with a soft, small head can make cleaning those hard-to-reach areas a lot easier and a lot quicker. Choose a model like the Rota-dent that has a tip small enough to fit under the wires of the braces.
4. 4. Avoid sticky foods. Some foods are just better left to enjoy when the braces come off. Sticky foods, like caramel, gum, beef jerky and gummy bears can get tangled up in the wires of the braces and are next to impossible to remove.
5. 5. Cut up hard foods. In addition, hard, solid foods, like apples, pears, and hard rolls and bagels can bend or loosen the wires and connections of your braces. Better to cut up these foods into bite-size pieces.
6. 6. Use a knife and fork. Not only is it more polite, but cutting up your food rather than biting into it is much easier on your braces. This even applies to traditional hand-held foods like ribs, corn-on-the-cob and chicken wings.
7. 7. Leave the pen and pencil on the desk. Nervous habits, such as chewing a pencil or pen while a student considers the answer to the next test question can wreak havoc with the wires on braces. Better to leave your writing implements on the desk where they below in between questions.
8. 8. Avoid sugary drinks. Drinks with sugar can get under the metals braces and wires and cause tooth decay. Best to avoid drinking soda, sports drinks and even most fruit juices while you’re wearing braces.
9. 9. Carry a toothbrush. When you have braces, you can’t always run home to brush after every meal. Be prepared for those times by carrying a toothbrush with you in a plastic case. It doesn’t take up much room in a purse or backpack and can make a big difference to your smile.
10. 10. Keep your dental appointments. Even the most diligent home teeth-cleaning regimen can’t compare to a professional cleaning by your dentist. Augment your good brushing routine with regular visits to your pediatric dentist… and don’t cancel.

So, don’t think that having braces is an excuse to ignore good oral hygiene. With a little effort and a little diligence, you can keep your teeth in shape while the braces are shaping your new smile.

Drew James produces online content for Pediatric Dentistry North, in Indianapolis, Indiana. When he’s not writing or editing, you can find him running urban trails all over the city.