How to Brush Teeth With Braces

Braces

Brushing and flossing are more difficult when you wear braces, but they are also more essential than ever. Brush around your brackets and wires for a couple of extra minutes every day to make sure they’re completely clean, and you’ll be glad you did when it’s time to take your braces off in a year or two.

Do you want some advice? Here is a step-by-step guide by Raleigh Orthodontics on how to brush your teeth with braces.

1. Begin with the Right Equipment

To reduce the amount of plaque that accumulates on your teeth, use a soft-bristled toothbrush and a fluoride toothpaste with the American Dental Association seal on the bottle. Medium or firm bristles may make you feel as though you’re cleaning your teeth better, but they have the potential to damage delicate gum tissue. If you have braces, an electric toothbrush is ideal since the vibration and agitation are effective in removing plaque and food debris.

2. Brush Your Teeth With Care

Use these figures from the American Association of Orthodontists as a template for how to brush thoroughly. You should:

  • Brush the area surrounding the brackets and wiring.
  • Clean the area beneath the brackets and wires
  • Brush the chewing surfaces of your teeth to remove plaque.
  • After brushing, use a tiny brush to clean behind your teeth.

Those without braces may brush for two minutes, but those with braces will almost certainly need to brush for a bit longer. To put it another way, you should brush your teeth and braces until they are completely clean. The metal on your brackets should be gleaming and metallic, not dull and gray, when you’re done. Brush your teeth at least twice a day, but make an effort to brush afterwards after each meal if feasible.

3. Fluoride Rinse for Teeth

Using a fluoride rinse with the ADA seal is an efficient method of preventing cavities while wearing braces. Braces are difficult to keep clean, and if plaque builds around them over time, your teeth may be harmed. White spot spots are actually a form of pre-cavity, and you could notice them on your enamel. These white stains or marks may be tough to eliminate and are frequently permanent.

To prevent tooth decay and white spots, use a fluoride rinse after brushing and flossing. Rinse your mouth with fluoride before going to bed if Dr. Hamilton believes you are at high risk for cavities around your braces.

Brushing Teeth

4. Floss Daily

Flossing is wonderful at any time of day, but if you can, flossing in the evening rather than in the morning is better to ensure that any food residue between your brackets and teeth has been removed throughout the day. Many clients are unsure whether or not they need a water flosser to make the task simpler. String floss, in case you don’t have the patience to do it right, is better than waxed floss. If your brackets get clogged with waxed rather than unwaxed floss, it is less likely to shred.

Floss under the wire with your fingers or a floss threader, then floss normally, carefully pushing and pulling the string back and forth all the way to the gum line.

5. Try an Interdental or Interproximal Brush

These brushes are small, and they slip into the space beneath your braces’ wires to aid you clean your teeth and brackets more effectively. Interdental brushes are especially useful for removing plaque from the edges of your bracket. If your teeth aren’t overly clogged, you might be able to clean between them with one of these brushes rather than dental floss.

Braces and Good Oral Hygiene: What’s the Connection?

The chance of gingivitis, tooth decay, and even gum disease increases if plaque builds up too quickly during orthodontic treatment because poor dental hygiene habits might allow it to happen. Brushing inadequately when you have braces can result in cosmetic flaws such as yellowing and stains, as well as dental health issues. You don’t want to require any more dental treatments after your braces are removed because you didn’t brush sufficiently!

Find Out More About Brushing with Braces

If you have any questions about how to brush and floss with braces, we can give instructions during your next visit. To book an appointment, call Hamilton Smiles Raleigh Orthodontics at 919-870-4443 now.

Leave a Reply