When you have braces or your child has braces, cleaning your teeth properly becomes even more important than before. The good news is that, while you’ll have to take extra care, brushing your teeth with braces is quite easy! It will just require a little patience!
Begin by brushing your teeth the same way you did without braces. Here’s a refresher on proper technique:
- Rinse your toothbrush and apply tooth paste.
- Position your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to the gums, and then to the tops and bottoms of your braces.
- Gently move the brush in short, circular strokes over your teeth and braces. Brush the fronts, backs and chewing surfaces of all your teeth.
- Brush your teeth thoroughly and methodically for at least two minutes: 30 seconds per “quadrant”.
- Remember to brush your tongue to remove bacteria and keep your breath fresh.
The next step is to use an interdental brush (available at your orthodontist or local pharmacy) to brush between your archwires and your teeth. Interdental brushes make it easy to get into hard to reach areas because they are shaped like a tiny bottle brush.
The video below offers a helpful demonstration of brushing with braces, and using an interdental brush.