Brushing & Flossing

Making sure you have good oral hygiene, especially when you have braces on, is very important. Not only does it give you fresh breath and a great looking smile, it keeps your teeth and gums healthy!

Brushing

You will notice that it is much harder to keep your teeth clean with braces. Food becomes caught in the brackets and between your teeth. Brushing after meals and flossing will help prevent plaque from forming and should become part of your daily schedule. Use a soft toothbrush and brush at a 45-degree angle to the tooth in small circles above and below the brackets. Your toothbrush will wear out faster because of your appliances, so be sure to replace it whenever the bristles start to fray.

If plaque remains on the teeth for any length of time, it can leave a permanent white scar on the surface. A waterpik or an electric toothbrush can be a useful addition, however, you should continue to see your dentist at least every 6 months for regular dental cleanings.

Flossing

Flossing with braces takes a few minutes to master, but the effort is well worth it. The first step to flossing is getting the floss under the wire that connects the braces together. A floss threader will help you get the dental floss underneath your archwires. Dental floss with a stiff end is also available. It is pre-cut and is very easy to insert underneath archwires.

Once the floss is under the archwire it can be wrapped around the tooth on one side. The floss is then pushed up toward the gum line and then pulled down toward the wire. This should be repeated four to five times to ensure all plaque is removed. Be careful not to put too much pressure on the wire as you pull down. Then wrap the floss around the neighboring tooth. Once both teeth are done, the floss is pulled out and the process repeated for the next two teeth.

  • In addition to brushing your teeth in the morning and at night, you should also brush your teeth after meals to prevent plaque from forming.

  • Yes, you can use regular floss when you have braces. It may take some practice getting used to flossing with braces. You may also use an orthodontic flosser, floss threader, or a waterpik that may make flossing with braces easier.

  • Use a soft toothbrush and brush at a 45-degree angle to the tooth in small circles above and below the brackets. Your toothbrush will wear out faster because of your appliances, so be sure to replace it whenever the bristles start to fray.

  • Braces make it more difficult to brush away plaque build-up, food particles, and bacteria since brackets and wires provide them more places to hide, which makes it even more important to maintain good oral hygiene while in braces. Brushing and flossing regularly will prevent cavities, tooth decay, gingivitis, and gum disease.