How to Maintain Good Oral Hygiene With Braces

Braces are a common choice for orthodontic treatment, but what can you expect with the upkeep? Here, our orthodontists in Langley share tips on how to maintain your oral hygiene with braces, including additional tools to keep your teeth clean.

How to Maintain Your Oral Hygiene with Braces

Maintaining good oral hygiene can help prevent bad breath, tooth decay and gum disease. Allowing bacteria to build up and form plaque can lead to various health problems.

Oral hygiene shouldn’t change with or without braces. Brushing, flossing and visiting the dentist are all important during your treatment. But you’ll need to use a different techniques to brush and floss with braces. It’s not complicated; it will just take some practice.

Tips for Brushing & Flossing

Here is some easy-to-follow advice to help you keep up with your oral hygiene routine throughout your orthodontic treatment:

Brush More Often

While it's usually recommended to brush your teeth twice each day, with braces, you will want to brush after each meal. Food particles can become trapped in your braces, leading to infections and decay if not properly cleaned.

Choose the Right Toothbrush

Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to clean your teeth and braces gently. Choose a brush with an angled head to remove plaque inside the braces. You can also use the latest devices, such as an electric toothbrush and a Waterpik. But remember to keep the electric toothbrush in sensitive mode.

Avoid Whitening Toothpaste

Whitening toothpaste will only partially whiten your teeth, leaving the area covered by your brackets unchanged. This can lead to spotted teeth once your orthodontic treatment is complete.

Prepare to Brush Your Teeth

Typically, you would just pick up your toothbrush, put some toothpaste on it and start brushing. But brushing with braces requires preparing your teeth a little beforehand. First, you can rinse your mouth with water or mouthwash to clean your teeth of the residue of the foods eaten, then begin to brush. You can also use a toothpick or a rubber-tipped gum massager to clear your teeth of any debris before rinsing and brushing.

Use the Right Technique

The correct technique for brushing with braces is also crucial. You should brush your teeth at a 45-degree angle while wearing braces. You must keep tilting your brush to get it inside all the brackets. Take short circular strokes to get inside the braces, and take flat strokes to clean the surface. Go slow and gentle on both teeth and braces.

Don't Forget to Floss

Flossing once a day is as essential as brushing while you are undergoing orthodontic treatment. A floss threader can be helpful while you are wearing braces. Be patient and invest time in flossing to ensure clean, healthy teeth during your straightening journey.

To floss properly with braces, wrap the floss around one finger of your hand and hold the other end in your other hand’s finger. Make a 'C' shape with the thread, then move it between each tooth, moving with the natural curves. You can clean each tooth in the same way for at least 20-30 seconds. Rinse with a fluoride mouthwash after flossing.

The Importance of Regular Dental Check-ups

It's essential to see your dentist every six months to help keep your teeth and gums healthy and your orthodontic treatment on schedule. Cavities or gum disease can cause complications that delay or inhibit orthodontic treatment.

Support From Additional Tools

Did you know that there are options that can help you to keep your teeth clean with braces? Mouthwash and fluoride can go the extra mile to help you keep your teeth strong and healthy.

Mouthwash

Using mouthwash daily with braces is essential for cleaning your teeth, brackets and wires, eliminating plaque and bacteria, preventing gum disease and cavities, and freshening breath.

Fluoride Treatments

Topical fluoride, including toothpaste and mouth rinses, are applied directly to the tooth. In-office fluoride treatments preceded by cleaning at your dentist's office are highly recommended during orthodontic treatment to reduce the risk of decay, staining and decalcification around braces.

The Importance of Oral Care Routines to Prevent Cavities & Gum Disease

Good oral hygiene is always important for a healthy smile, especially when undergoing orthodontic treatment. When you wear braces, your oral hygiene routine is critical, because any dental appliance increases the risk of food and bacteria becoming trapped around your teeth.

Avoiding Certain Foods With Braces

When you have braces, it's important to be mindful of what you eat to maintain good oral hygiene and prevent damage to your braces. Sticky, sugary foods can easily get lodged in the brackets and wires, increasing the risk of tooth decay and cavities. It's best to avoid sticky, hard or crunchy foods, as they can potentially damage the braces. Opting for soft, nutritious foods like yogurt, cheese, and soft fruits can help maintain your braces and overall oral health.

Here are some of the foods that are best avoided during orthodontic treatment with braces:

When you first get braces, you may experience some discomfort as your mouth adjusts. Additionally, practicing good oral hygiene can be a bit difficult with braces, as food particles can get trapped more easily. However, with consistent care and maintenance, much of the discomfort will subside, and caring for your braces will become a part of your daily life.

Before you know it, the braces will come off, revealing a straight and healthy smile. Just remember to wear your retainer afterward and follow your orthodontist's instructions.