DENTAL DILEMMAS – Dr Karim Rachidi from Synergy Dental Clinics helps with advice on dental problems

Q. I’ve just had braces put in. What lifestyle changes do I need to make?

A. Having braces fitted just depends on how much work there needs to be done and how far your teeth need to be moved.

Fixed braces can take anywhere between 12 months and 24 months or longer, in the instance that they require more work. Add in to the mix that you may need to wear removable braces before you have the fixed braces fitted and also afterwards, too.

The biggest change you’ll need to make to your lifestyle is making sure you eat the right foods and avoid eating foods that are sugary and chewy. Chewing gum could be harmful as it could stick to your brace and eating hard foods like carrots, cucumbers, apples and French breads could damage and break the wires and brackets that form a part of your brace.

Your dentist should give you the advice depending on your specific treatment type or what they have planned for you. After having your braces fitted, you may struggle to speak, pronounce certain words and may even have a lisp at times.

Making the effort to keep your teeth and braces clean will help you to avoid problems like tooth decay, inflamed gums and tooth decalcification – which is where you lose calcium from the surface of your teeth and may leave white spots on your teeth after the brace is removed.

If you ever damage your brace then you should go to your dentist immediately as it could affect the treatment and affect your teeth’s positioning.

For more information about dental problems contact Synergy Dental

Clinic Blackburn, email blackburn@synergydental.org.uk or go to www.synergydental.org.uk/dentist-in-blackburn