Braces can offer you the confidence of a brand-new smile, a solution to cosmetic insecurities, or even a medical fix. It’s important to remember that while you’re investing in your orthodontics treatment, you have a significant responsibility to care for your teeth and maintain your treatment progress. To do so properly, you will likely need to make slight alterations to your daily oral hygiene regimen.
While braces are a measure to achieve a healthy, straight smile, they can create complications when it comes to brushing and flossing your teeth. Although your oral hygiene practices will likely require a bit more attention than you may be used to giving to your daily brushing routine, it is important to ensure your teeth are cleaned properly and thoroughly to avoid decay.
At Robison Orthodontics, we strive to empower our patients to take proper care of their teeth so that they remain strong and healthy for as long as possible. Fortunately, caring for braces is not difficult as long as you know the correct cleaning steps. A steady routine and some vigilance when brushing can eradicate the pesky buildup of plaque and ensure your orthodontic progress. With the right knowledge and tools, you can expect to show off a brand-new, pearly-white smile in no time.
How to Brush Your Teeth and Floss With Braces
While braces are extremely useful for moving your teeth into the proper positions, they do provide a physical barrier that can prevent your teeth from getting as clean as they should. The bristles of your toothbrush may get blocked by your braces, consequently missing bits of food and plaque that have become trapped in your teeth.
When we administer oral care for an orthodontic patient, we use tools that most people cannot access in their homes. However, you do not need any expensive tools to properly clean your teeth, even if you have braces. To simplify the process, gather all the utensils you need before brushing your teeth.
This can include:
- A cup of water
- A regular toothbrush
- An in-between toothbrush, known as an interdental brush
- Toothpaste (we recommend using a non-abrasive toothpaste)
- Floss or flossers for braces
- Waterpik (optional)
- Mouthwash (optional)
How to Prepare for Cleaning When You Have Braces
Start by filling your cup with water and rinsing your mouth with it. By swishing a bit of water around before you brush, you can loosen up the debris and food particles sticking to the interior of your mouth. At this point, all elastic bands that you might have should be removed in preparation for flossing.
How to Floss Your Teeth When You Have Braces
After you have rinsed your mouth with water, cut a piece of floss. Flossing should be done once a day, preferably at night after your last meal of the day. For braces, simple floss thread is ideal, as it is easier to maneuver underneath the wire of your braces than a large floss pick – though picks made especially for braces can work.
Getting the floss underneath the wire of your braces can be tricky. Floss threaders are small utensils that can make flimsy thread floss much easier to handle. Begin threading the floss between each of your teeth. Lead the floss all the way up to your gums on both sides of every tooth, using a new, clean section of floss each time. Water flossers/waterpiks are also useful, as they send a stream of water between the braces and the teeth.
3 Tips For Brushing Your Teeth With Braces
To make sure that the entire cleanable surface of your tooth can be accessed by a cleaning utensil, follow these three brushing tips.
- Vary the angle of your toothbrush so that the bristles can attack the tooth and the individual brackets from all sides. Hold your brush at a 45-degree angle to address the gum line. Then, reposition to clean the tops of your brackets and then the bottoms. Be thorough and try to address each tooth.
- Use an interdental toothbrush to address smaller, hard-to-reach spaces underneath the braces. Interdental toothbrushes are smaller and more flexible than normal toothbrushes and typically look like a head of bristles surrounding a central stem. These can be especially useful for reaching places hidden between brackets and under the wire of your braces.
- Complete tasks in this order for optimal effects: floss first, then brush, then rinse!
When used together, these tips can level up your oral hygiene regimen. By the time you have finished your regular oral care routine, your mouth should feel pleasantly refreshed.
Effective Rinsing With Braces
After you have brushed your teeth, give them another rinse – this time with mouthwash. Do not swallow the mouthwash after you have rinsed, and be sure to use an antibacterial mouthwash to combat any lingering bacteria. Additionally, you can look for a mouthwash that contains fluoride to prevent any white spots from forming.
Some mouthwashes advertise themselves as “for braces.” However, many of these are not all that different from mouthwashes that are not braces-specific. An orthodontist may suggest a specific brand of mouthwash, in which case you should heed your orthodontist’s advice instead. Typically, any antibacterial mouthwash will suffice, and it can add an extra layer of protection for your teeth.
Oral Hygiene with Braces FAQs
Cleaning your teeth while you have braces can be a bit tricky, but you can do your best with the answers to these FAQs
Remember: it is up to you to decide what level of oral care you will achieve for yourself. Oral hygiene is a lifelong endeavor, and your dedication to it dictates your success. When you invest the time into appropriately caring for your teeth, you give yourself the gift of a clean and healthy smile.
Orthodontists in Gilbert, AZ, Can Help You Protect Your Teeth
To learn more about how you can protect your teeth and maintain proper oral hygiene while you have braces, be sure to consult with an orthodontist at Robison Orthodontics. Our goal is to provide top-notch dental care and straightforward guidance so you can make the most of your orthodontic treatment. Contact our office today to schedule your consultation.
Sources:
- Healthline. (n.d.). Plaque: Causes, prevention, and treatments. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/dental-and-oral-health/plaque
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. (n.d.). Gum disease. Retrieved from https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/gum-disease#:~:text=Periodontal%20(gum)%20disease%20is%20an,or%20need%20to%20be%20removed.
- Nazir, M. A. (2017). Prevalence of periodontal disease, its association with systemic diseases and prevention. International Journal of Health Sciences, 11(2), 72–80. Retrieved from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6434526/
- Mayo Clinic. (2023). Periodontitis: Symptoms and causes. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/periodontitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354473
Dr. Tyler Robison is an alum of Mesa’s Mountain View High School. He graduated from Brigham Young University before being accepted to the “Top Ten-nationally ranked” University of Louisville in Kentucky, where he earned his Doctorate in Dental Medicine and a Master’s Degree in Oral Biology. He graduated with honors in the top ten percent of his class. Dr. Robison continued at the University of the Pacific in San Francisco, where he received a second master’s degree in dental science and his orthodontic certification.
