How to Brush Teeth With Braces To Maintain A Health & Clean Mouth

When you get your orthodontics, it is essential that you brush them properly. Clean brackets means clean teeth, which will lead to a great smile.

Timing

First thing we’d like to talk about is when you should clean your brackets/wires and brush your teeth. Ideally, the best time for you to brush your teeth is after each and every meal you. This way you eliminate any residual food in your teeth. Food left over in your teeth is usually the cause of bacterial growth that leads to plaques and cavities.

If you aren’t able to brush your teeth and braces after a meal, try to at least rinse your teeth with water. Rinse for a few seconds and spit out the water. If you’re not short on time, do this twice. On top of brushing your teeth with braces, you must floss to avoid white spots after your braces get removed. As orthodontists, we are very well aware how time consuming flossing can be, but we also know how beneficial the results are when you floss. The optimal time to floss is right before bed.

Mistake

A huge mistake that people make when they get braces, is that they stop seeing their dentist. Dentists and orthodontists have very different jobs. Be sure to continue scheduling appointments every 6 months for a checkup with your dentist. Brushing your teeth during treatment can be tricky, a dentist and their team will make sure your teeth are in perfect shape, without any plaque leftover. They will also monitor for the growth of cavities to solve the problem before it occurs. What a dentist will also be able to do is to show you extra tips and tricks to help you keep a clean and healthy mouth. By the time your treatment is done, your teeth will be white, clean, and your smile will be truly perfect.

Length

The process of brushing with braces on isn’t very different from when you don’t have braces. Make sure you’re brushing for at least 5 minutes. The difference is, when brushing with braces on, you will want to be very detailed. That means you have to work hard to reach those difficult spots. You will also spend longer to make sure you brush each tooth from every angle you possibly can. This is because you don’t want some spot to yellow while others are very clean. This creates discolored teeth that won’t be very appealing when your braces are off.

You’ll also want to brush your tongue as well so that it doesn’t hold any bacteria that can worsen a situation and your oral health. You’ll know you’ve brushed your teeth with braces well when you see them shining and the metal wire and brackets clean. If your brackets aren’t shiny, brush again, but this time be more thorough.