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Risks
By Mayo Clinic staffWearing dental braces is generally a very safe procedure, but there are certain risks present, both in the short term and long term.
Short-term risks
Braces create tiny spaces around your teeth that can trap food particles and provide a convenient deposit site for bacteria-laden plaque. Failure to remove deposits of food and plaque can lead to:
- Demineralization of your teeth's outer enamel surface, which can leave permanent whitish stains on your teeth
- Cavities
To avoid damage to your teeth and braces:
- Cut down on sugary and starchy foods, which inordinately contribute to plaque formation and tooth decay.
- Brush carefully, preferably after every meal, with fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristled brush. If you can't brush your teeth after your meal, rinse your mouth out with water.
- Rinse thoroughly.
- Use a fluoride rinse if recommended by your dentist or orthodontist.
- Floss between braces and under wires with the help of a floss threader.
- Have your teeth cleaned professionally as often as your dentist recommends.
- Avoid sticky foods — such as chewing gum, chewy candies, caramel and taffy — that can pull off brackets and bands.
- Avoid hard foods — such as ice, hard candies, popcorn and nuts — that can break various parts of your braces.
Long-term risks
Long-term risks may include:
- Shorter root lengths. During tooth movement, some of the bone in the path of the moving tooth dissolves, while new bone is laid behind it. Permanent loss of tooth root length may occur during this process, which could lead to less stable teeth. In most cases, however, this doesn't cause any problems.
- Loss of correction. If you don't follow your orthodontist's instructions carefully after your braces are removed, particularly when it comes to wearing a device called a retainer, you may lose some of the correction gained while wearing your braces.
- Why do people get braces? Academy of General Dentistry. http://www.knowyourteeth.com/print/printpreview.asp?content=article&abc=w&iid=322&aid=1304. Accessed June 11, 2010.
- Braces and retainers. Cleveland Clinic. http://my.clevelandclinic.org/devices/dental_care/hic_braces_and_retainers.aspx. Accessed July 27, 2010.
- Today's orthodontic treatment. American Association of Orthodontists. http://www.braces.org/learn/Straight-teeth-are-healthy-teeth.cfm. Accessed June 11, 2010.
- Barbara Woodward Lips Patient Education Center. Orthodontic instructions. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2010.
- Harrison JE, et al. Orthodontic treatment for prominent upper front teeth in children (Review). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2007:CD003452.
- Braces and orthodontics. American Dental Association. http://www.ada.org/2598.aspx. Accessed June 9, 2010.
- What is malocclusion? American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. http://www.aapd.org/publications/brochures/maloccl.asp. Accessed June 10, 2010.
- Littlewood SJ, et al. Retention procedures for stabilising tooth position after treatment with orthodontic braces (Review). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2006:CD002283.
- Heasman P. Master Dentistry, Volume Two: Restorative Dentistry, Paediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier Limited; 2008:283.
- Carr AB (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 26, 2010.
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