If your teenage child is preparing to get braces soon, it is absolutely vital for him or her to practice good oral care habits while wearing these devices. As a parent, you may need to instruct and encourage your child to do these things to protect his or her teeth, and here are some of the best tips for someone to use while wearing braces:

Understand the risks

The first thing to understand is the risks you have when wearing braces. Braces are made up of brackets and wires, and they can easily trap food in them. Because of this, a person with braces is prone to having bad breath and getting cavities if they do not care well for their teeth. If the food gets trapped too long, it can become smelly and can feed on sugars from foods he or she eats. This creates acid and causes cavities in teeth.

Eat healthy foods and avoid certain foods

The second thing to know is that eating healthy foods is very important during the time a person wears braces. Healthy foods include all the normal things that doctors recommend eating, such as fruits, vegetables, and lean meats. Additionally, avoiding certain foods is also important, as some foods do not work well with braces. For example, chewy foods like taffy and caramel are both bad for braces as they can cause the brackets to come loose.

Brush and floss

As always, brushing and flossing will both be important daily habits for a person with braces. Brushing teeth with braces is the same as brushing teeth without, but flossing can become tricky with braces. Your teen child may want to ask the orthodontist to show him or her the best way to floss while wearing braces.

Continue going to the dentist

Finally, you should realize that going to the dentist for checkups is very important while wearing braces, even though you might think that it is not. Even with braces on, a dentist can clean the child's teeth and can check for problems with the teeth. If problems are present, a dentist may be able to complete the work needed on the teeth without waiting for the child to get his or her braces removed.

Following these tips can be extremely helpful for anyone who has braces. If you have questions about this, talk to an orthodontist like Reed & Sahlaney Orthodontics, LLP.