Dental Device Care – Your ‘At Home’ Guide
A guide to dental devices and how to care for them properly at home between visits to Abbey Road Dental.
The team here at Abbey Road Dental is working hard to provide as much support for patients as possible during this challenging time.
Unfortunately the advice still stands that we are unable to complete appointments face to face, but we still have lots of knowledge to offer which we hope you will find useful.
In this blog we want to talk about different dental devices and how you can care for them well at home. Caring for these devices is more important than ever at a time when adjustments and replacements may not be readily available.
With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at different dental devices and how to care for them at home:
Braces
One of the biggest adjustments you have to make when you get braces is taking care of your teeth with this device in place. During lockdown, it is so important that you continue to take care of your teeth well whilst you are wearing braces. There are so many tiny little gaps to trap food, which can lead to problems if it is not removed. Because of this risk we recommend that you brush your teeth after every single thing that you eat, not just every meal. We also recommend you floss and and use the equipment provided to you by the dentist to clean your braces once a day.
By maintaining this routine you have a better chance to avoid teeth staining, cavities, gum disease and extra time wearing your braces.
Here’s an at a glance rundown of how your daily brace care should look:
- Prepare the braces for brushing as explained by the orthodontist. That may mean removing the elastics or removing the entire device depending on your individual situation.
- Hold your brush at a 45 degree angle to clean the wires and different parts of your braces. Clean the entirety of each individual wire and ensure each and every bit of food and debris is taken off.
- Clean each tooth carefully, tilting the brush to clean all the way down to the gum line. Take care to switch the order you clean teeth to ensure there aren’t areas that get less attention regularly.
- Floss and/or use the cleaning apparatus recommended by the orthodontist or hygienist here at our dental practice in NW8.
- Rinse your mouth thoroughly and check your teeth and braces to ensure everywhere is clean. If you have missed anything, go back to those areas and ensure that they are clean.
As well as cleaning your braces and teeth properly, you can also do a lot to protect your device from damage. Namely, this means avoiding certain foods. Here are some of the worst offenders for breaking or damaging braces:
- Crusty bread
- Sticky toffees and sweets
- Large chunks of very hard vegetables or fruits
- Popcorn
- Any food you have to bite into
- Any hard foods like nuts
In addition to avoiding these foods you should also be avoiding very sugary food and drink as your teeth are more at risk of cavities.
Dentures
Removable dentures, full or partial, require lots of good care to keep them looking good and working well. During this time, it is very important to be stringent with your denture care.
Here are our top tips for keeping your dentures in good condition:
- Take dentures out after eating and rinse them through. Using simple tap water you can rinse the device through, placing something soft underneath if you can to protect them from breakage if dropped.
- Handle them with care when you clean them, ensuring that the plastic and clasps are not bent or snapped.
- Clean your mouth thoroughly when your dentures are out. Remaining teeth should be brushed thoroughly. Gums, tongue, cheeks and other soft tissues should be gently cleaned, with denture fixative removed in full.
- Clean your dentures at least once a day using the directions provided by Abbey Road Dental. You will want to use a denture cleanser and a brush to remove any debris from the dentures.
- Soak your dentures overnight to ensure that they stay clean and moist – a suitable denture storage solution should be used. The team at Abbey Road Dental will have provided you with guidance on your specific denture type and how to store them overnight.
- Always rinse your dentures properly when you place them in your mouth. This ensures you do not place dentures in your mouth when they still have soaking solution on them.
There are also some things you should avoid when you care for your dentures including:
- Cleaning materials that are too harsh or abrasive
- Whitening toothpastes
- Any products that contain bleach
- Hot water
If your dentures have become loose or broken during lockdown you may need to avoid wearing them until such a time you can have them repaired or new ones fitted.
What To Do If Things Go Wrong?
If you do have an issue with your braces, dentures or your teeth, please get in touch. Although guidelines still mean we are unable to provide routine dental care and hygiene, we can do our best to help you in an emergency. You can email us on enquiries@abbeyroaddental.co.uk or call us on 02076241603. There is also a link on our homepage you can use to find out where to get emergency dental help in London. Please note that this link relates to emergencies relating to abscesses, dental injuries and other issues associated with the mouth.
Abbey Road Dental Is Still Here For You!
Your local St John’s Wood clinic is still here for you during this challenging time. We can provide as much advice as possible through our blog, the ‘phone or by email. We can support you through dental emergencies, even if that means ensuring you know where to go to get the help you need.
In the meantime, please do all you can to keep dental devices like dentures and braces in good shape. Do keep up your cleaning routine, and most importantly don’t take any unnecessary risks with your oral health or devices. Please stay safe and hopefully we’ll be open again for you soon.