Everything You Need To Know About Brushing and Flossing With Braces

For many people, orthodontic treatment with braces represents a necessary step toward achieving a more functional and aesthetic smile. The orthodontic specialists at Lewis Estates Dental Centre and our partners at Oasis Orthodontics understand the importance of proper dental hygiene routine. We’ve witnessed countless successful tooth alignment journeys and the commitments patients make to improve their oral health and prevent tooth decay. Having braces is no excuse for neglecting thorough brushing and flossing. In fact, maintaining proper dental hygiene while wearing braces becomes even more crucial for preventing gum inflammation.

Braces and brackets can trap food particles, bacteria, and dental plaque between your teeth, potentially damaging the enamel and creating cavities. Improper maintenance of your teeth and orthodontic treatment can lead to gum disease and might require temporary removal of your braces to address severe cavities and accumulated plaque before reattachment – a process that dental professionals confirm can be quite uncomfortable.

What’s the best way to maintain dental hygiene while wearing braces? The solution involves consistent brushing and flossing techniques combined with proper oral irrigation. You should expect to spend additional time on your daily dental care routine, as orthodontic treatment can make brushing more challenging but essential for optimal results. Maintaining consistent habits is crucial for achieving healthy, well-aligned teeth. Below is a comprehensive guide on proper brushing and flossing techniques with braces.

Essential Brushing Techniques for Braces

Following a systematic approach, let’s explore effective brushing methods. Begin with a thorough water rinse to dislodge food particles from your bracket maintenance areas. Clean carefully around the orthodontic wires, moving systematically from top to bottom, ensuring you brush the archwires from multiple angles for optimal plaque prevention.

When beginning your tooth brushing routine, position your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle, utilizing small circular motions to clean around your brackets effectively. Start at the upper portion of the brackets before moving downward, dedicating sufficient time to each tooth surface. Dental hygienists recommend brushing after every meal, taking necessary time to eliminate food debris and harmful bacteria.

Selecting the Optimal Toothbrush for Braces

Traditional toothbrushes may not provide adequate cleaning for teeth with orthodontic treatment. Consider investing in an orthodontic-cut toothbrush featuring V-shaped bristles specifically designed for effective bracket maintenance. These specialized brushes offer superior cleaning of gums and remove food particles trapped between teeth and brackets more efficiently. Alternatively, you can select an specialized electric toothbrush for orthodontic care, designed to reach difficult areas and effectively remove plaque around brackets and wires. Many electric toothbrushes now offer orthodontic brush heads. Dental professionals often suggest using a soft spiral dental brush for additional interdental cleaning between braces and brackets as needed.

Proper Flossing Techniques With Braces

Implementing proper flossing techniques with braces requires practice and patience – mastering the technique of threading floss around orthodontic wires and between teeth takes time. Using a floss threader, readily available at most pharmacies, becomes essential for making the flossing process with braces significantly more manageable.

When selecting floss, choose between waxed dental tape or specialized orthodontic floss designed for threading between braces with minimal resistance. Thread your chosen floss beneath the main wire before passing it between teeth pairs, using gentle up-and-down movements before proceeding to the next section, taking care not to damage the wire. Professional orthodontists recommend cleaning between teeth daily, combining flossing with water irrigation systems to effectively remove food particles around braces and between teeth for optimal oral hygiene.

Maintaining proper oral hygiene with braces requires additional effort, but implementing these essential dental care practices ensures your orthodontic treatment progresses effectively toward achieving your desired smile alignment. Contact Lewis Estates Dental Centre with any questions about orthodontic care – our team of dental professionals is committed to helping you achieve the confident smile you deserve!