When you first attempt to brush with braces, it might seem as if you are cleaning your teeth while working at a miniature construction site. Foods become trapped in areas that they had never been before, and brushing for the required two minutes seems like an eternity. Don’t worry; it will get better. You just need the proper tools and some practice. In no time, brushing your teeth with braces will become a routine for you.
Why Is This Important?
Because brackets and wires make up nooks for plaque to hide inside; if it remains there, you will have inflamed and bleeding gums. Also, the presence of plaque might cause chalky white spots around the area where the bracket used to be, and this might remain visible after the removal of your braces.
Your Braces Cleaning Kit
You don’t need a cupboard full of gadgets, but a few tools make a real difference:
- A soft toothbrush. Manual or electric both work. Some people like an orthodontic brush with a V-shaped dip in the bristles that fits around brackets.
- Fluoride toothpaste. Fluoride helps protect enamel, which matters even more while plaque has extra places to hide.
- Interdental brushes. These tiny brushes slide under the wire and between brackets. Ask your dentist which size suits you.
- Floss threaders or braces floss. These help you get floss under the wire.
- A water flosser (optional). Handy for flushing out food, though it works best alongside brushing and flossing rather than instead of them.
How to Brush With Braces
Take it slow. Brushing with braces usually takes a little longer than you’re used to.
- Rinse first to loosen any food stuck around the brackets.
- Brush along the gum line with the bristles angled gently towards the gums.
- Angle the brush down onto the top of each bracket, then up onto the bottom, so you clean both sides.
- Don’t forget the inside surfaces and chewing surfaces, which are easy to rush.
- Finish with interdental brushes under the wire and around each bracket.
It helps to brush after meals where you can, or at least rinse well with water if you’re out and about. A small travel kit in your school bag or work bag makes this much easier.
Flossing Without the Frustration
Flossing with braces is the step most people skip, mostly because it’s fiddly at first. Thread the floss under the wire with a threader, then gently slide it up and down the sides of each tooth, just under the gum line. It might take ten minutes the first few times, but most people get much quicker with practice. Once a day, usually at night, is a good goal.
Eating With Braces
You don’t have to give up everything you love, but some foods are best avoided or eaten carefully:
- Hard foods like nuts, hard lollies, ice and popcorn kernels can break brackets.
- Sticky and chewy foods like caramels, toffee and chewy lollies cling to wires and are hard to clean off.
- Sugary and fizzy drinks feed plaque bacteria and wash acid around brackets, so keep them to mealtimes if you have them.
- Crunchy fruit and veg like apples and carrots are still great, just cut them into small pieces rather than biting straight in.
If a bracket comes loose or a wire starts poking, don’t try to fix it yourself. Contact the practice so it can be checked and sorted.
Keep Up Your Check-Ups and Cleans
An orthodontic appointment is a dental visit for tooth movement and not a check-up or professional cleaning. Since plaque and tartar accumulate easily when wearing braces, a professional cleaning during orthodontic treatment will prove helpful.
Look out for the following signs during the period between your appointments:
Red or inflamed gums
White or chalky appearance around the brackets
Persistent bad breath despite brushing your teeth
Any tender areas of pain
The presence of the above symptoms means you should make an early appointment.
Healthy Teeth in the Long Run
Wearing braces involves a lot of financial and time commitment. Good hygiene practices maximize the effectiveness of this investment. For anyone who has braces and needs assistance with hygiene practices, our team is ready to offer its help. As your local Diggers Rest dentist, we can teach you proper brushing techniques for your braces.