The holidays are nearly here—are you ready? As you put up all your holiday decorations and dig out your ugly Christmas sweater from the back of your closet, don’t forget about your smile. Customizing and caring for your braces are great ways to show off your festive spirit! Here are a few tips to help your braces look and feel their best this holiday season.
Color-Coordinate Your Rubber Bands
One of the best ways to showcase your unique personality when wearing your braces is to customize the colored bands on your brackets! You can typically change their color every time you visit your orthodontist for a checkup. There are plenty of seasonal color combinations to choose from depending on which holiday you’re excited for, including:
- Hanukkah: Blue and silver are a great way to show off your Hanukkah spirit. You could also choose white instead of silver, but that could exaggerate any discoloration on your teeth.
- Christmas: Red and green are the most obvious and fun Christmas colors to choose! You could also go with red and white like a candy cane, but again, white may not be a good idea.
- New Year’s Eve: If you’re looking forward to the start of the new year, go with classic colors like silver, gold, or both! Sometimes, these even come with glitter accents.
Keep a Toothbrush & Floss Handy
One thing you don’t want your braces to show off this holiday season is all the snacks and sweets you’ve been enjoying! It’s easy for food to get trapped between your braces and teeth, and depending on what color your meal was, it can be very noticeable. What’s more, those trapped food particles can lead to cavities if you don’t clear them away quickly. Keep a toothbrush and floss with you so you can take a few minutes to clean your teeth and braces when it’s convenient for you.
Avoid Foods on the Naughty List
While you’re enjoying all your favorite holiday meals and festive snacks, make sure you’re picking what goes on your plate carefully. The last thing you need during the festivities is an emergency trip to your orthodontist for a broken wire or bracket! To keep a dental emergency from interrupting your holidays, do your best to avoid or limit foods like:
- Ice cubes, nuts, popcorn and pretzels
- Candy canes, peanut brittle, taffy and hard gingerbread cookies
- Hard vegetables, stuffing with nuts and meat off the bone
Celebrating the holidays while wearing braces may be somewhat different than how you used to enjoy them before starting your orthodontic treatment. Just remember—your beautiful, straightened smile will be well worth the effort! Use these simple tips to get in the holiday spirit while keeping your braces safe.
About the Practice
At Simply Orthodontics, we’re dedicated to helping smiles of all ages in Dayville achieve optimal oral health and a beautiful smile. We offer a wide range of services, including traditional braces. Through every step of your treatment, we’ll be working with you to make the process of straightening your teeth as comfortable, effective, and pleasant as possible. If you have more questions about caring for your braces during the holidays, feel free to contact us online or at (860) 774-2008.