How To Maintain Your Dental Alignment After Braces

It would be ideal if you didn't have to worry about your teeth getting misaligned again after getting them aligned with braces. However, the reality is that you must be on the lookout for post orthodontic issues that may reverse the treatment. Here are a few tips to ensure that doesn't happen to you:

Wear Your Retainer as Advised

The best thing you can do for your teeth post-alignment is to wear your retainers as advised by the dentist. The retainers are meant to keep the pressure on your teeth so they don't move out of position. In most cases, the lower teeth have fixed retainers while the upper teeth have removable retainers. The orthodontist will tell you how long you need to wear your retainers every day; stick to the schedule.

Prevent Dental Diseases

There are several ways in which dental diseases can move your teeth out of position. For example, they can weaken your jawbone and give your teeth room to move.  Gum diseases can also cause gum recession, which may give the teeth more wiggle room. Therefore, observe impeccable oral hygiene and consult your dentist for all dental issues to help keep dental diseases at bay.

Replace Any Lost Tooth

If you lose a tooth and don't replace it, the adjacent ones will tend to move into the space vacated by the lost tooth; this can also cause further misalignment of the teeth. Therefore, if you lose a tooth, for example, in an accident, have it replaced as soon as possible (for example, by an implant) to prevent misalignment.

Don't Use Your Teeth as a Tool

One of the biggest mistakes you can make, whether or not you have had your teeth aligned with braces, is to use your teeth as a tool. Examples include using your teeth to open cans or bottles or using your teeth to strip electrical wires. Apart from eroding or cracking your teeth, such things can also misalign your teeth, especially if you make them a routine.

Consider Extracting Your Wisdom Teeth

If your teeth were misaligned before your wisdom teeth erupted, then you should consider extracting the wisdom teeth if they erupt. This is because wisdom teeth tend to be problematic; most of them erupt out of position or get impacted, pushing or overcrowding the existing teeth out of their normal positions.

Hopefully, you will not have a problem with your dental alignment after the braces are removed. Consult a dentist or orthodontist, like Snyder, Donald DDS, if you develop any further problems.