Millions of teens have either had braces or currently have them. The American Association of Orthodontics recommends that children see an orthodontist at the first sign of an orthodontic problem, but no later than the age of 7. A common issue that parents deal with when their kids have braces is how to get them to practice good oral hygiene habits. Many of them struggle with trying to get their kids to properly care for their teeth and braces. The good news is that there are things that parents can do to help create good oral hygiene habits in their kids. So just how do parents go about motivating there are kids to maintain good oral hygiene habits? Here are some tips for establishing healthy oral hygiene habits in kids with braces:

Create an oral hygiene schedule. Make it as important a priority as their violin lessons or sports practices. Schedule it each day for a few weeks, which will help them establish the habit and lay the foundation to continue doing it going forward. 

Help them determine if they are doing a good job. Have them take a toothpick and run the point around the gum line, braces, and in-between the teeth, gathering up the plaque and testing if the teeth are cleaned. The bunched-up plaque will look like mashed potatoes with a white to yellow color. Use plaque-disclosing solutions or tablets to highlight the plaque, allowing children to see where the plaque is located. This is fun for kids, because the plaque on their teeth will change color, but this also makes it clear where they are missing when brushing. Seeing the plaque for themselves, they will know if their brushing needs improvement.

Choose helpful products. Take advantage of products that are designed to help with oral hygiene with braces, such as the new product called EverSmile OrthoFoam. OrthoFoam is a patented hydrogen peroxide, anionic cleaning formula for braces and teeth that removes plaque by breaking it down. OrthoFoam can be used three different ways: 1. As a foaming rinse in conjunction with brushing, 2. As an add-on “brushing booster” used alone or with your regular toothpaste, or 3. Applied to teeth in custom or stock dental trays which is the most effective method.  For more information, visit eversmilewhite.com.

Courtesy of EverSmile