When you have braces, brushing and flossing after every meal is crucial to keep your mouth healthy and your treatment on track. Braces easily trap bits of food that can cause tooth decay if not properly cleaned. With a few modifications to your regular routine, you’ll be just fine.
Brushing with braces
Brush your teeth for two minutes after every meal with a soft-bristled, small-headed toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. Electric toothbrushes are even more effective. Ask our staff about Sonicare toothbrushes and brush heads.
- Brush the outside surfaces of your teeth using small, gentle, circular motions while positioning the bristles at a 45-degree angle to the gum line. Clean well the area between the brackets and gums.
- Move on to your teeth’s chewing surfaces and inside surfaces using short, gentle, back-and-forth motions. Pay special attention to the areas around your brackets or other appliances.
Flossing with braces
- Use a floss threader or special orthodontic floss to thread the floss behind the archwire so you can slip it between your teeth. Wrap the ends of the floss around your pointer fingers with a few inches of taut floss between them.
- To remove plaque and food particles, gently slide the floss down the sides of each tooth and beneath the gum line using a back-and-forth motion.
If you find that your floss is not removing all of the food particles between your teeth and around your braces, ask us about a Sonicare Airfloss.
Oral Hygiene Supplements
In addition to the Sonicare Powered Toothbrush and Airfloss, we also suggest a few other products that can boost your hygiene routine:
- Floss threaders and interproximal brushes (to aid in cleaning between teeth)
- Colgate Phos-Flur (an anti-cavity fluoride rinse)
- HD Plaque Toothpaste (a plaque-disclosing toothpaste)
We’re happy to help you choose the toothbrush, floss, and other oral care products best suited for your teeth and appliances.