Supporting dental braces isn’t exactly anyone’s dream, but it is worth your enhanced smile and improved dental health in the end. Whether you have to wear them for a short period or a long one, it can be challenging to maneuver around them. In addition, you must practice good oral hygiene even more with braces, as they can trap food particles and debris. This can lead to plaque formation and damage your oral health – which goes against the purpose of supporting braces. Hence, you should know the simplest of things, like how to brush your teeth with braces. Carry on reading to learn the best techniques to brush teeth with braces.
Steps on How to Brush Your Teeth with Braces
Here are a few steps that’ll help your scrub your teeth clean if you wear braces:
1. Brush Regularly
You must be thinking, ‘I just ate; do I have to brush my teeth every single time I eat with braces?’
Brushing after every meal can help limit the plaque build-up on your teeth. Hence, frequent brushing will only be beneficial to avoid problems. In short, you don’t have to, but brushing your teeth after every meal is highly recommended if you wear braces to prevent any problems.
2. Have the Proper Brushing Tools
Scrubbing your teeth becomes easy when you have the proper tools to clean them. Therefore, make sure you have everything these tools:
- A cup
- Non-abrasive toothpaste
- A toothbrush, manual or electric
- A floss, floss threader, or water flosser
- Interdental brushes
- Mouthwash
- Mirror
3. Start by Swishing
Pour water into your cup to rinse your mouth. To loosen the food particles, it is effective to swish with water before you start brushing. After that, take out the removable orthodontic pieces like elastics, bands, etc.
4. Brush With Right Angles
Rinse your toothbrush with water and put a small amount of non-abrasive toothpaste on top of it. Now, hold your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to gently brush your gum line. Once you’ve brushed along your gum line, shift the angle to brush the top of your brackets gently. Next, angle the toothbrush upwards to scrub under the brackets and wire. Clean each tooth carefully and gently, paying attention to every surface.
5. Brush Your Teeth With Braces Thoroughly
You cannot hasten the process of brushing your teeth with braces. The consequences of not brushing your teeth with braces can be detrimental. Therefore, ensure that you carefully and thoroughly brush your teeth for at least two minutes. You can also use an interdental brush to clean under and around the braces.
6. Floss
Don’t forget to floss your teeth after brushing. Flossing with brushing can be a bit tricky, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore it. Floss gently; you can even use a water flosser to clean the spots between your teeth.
7. End With a Rinse
When your teeth have been brushed and flossed, seal the deal with an antibacterial mouthwash. The last step on how to brush your teeth with braces and using mouthwash will eliminate germs and any lingering food particles. Plus, it freshens your breath!
What Should I Do?
Make sure to follow the steps on how to brush your teeth with braces to avoid oral health issues. Our Smile Designs Dentistry team prioritizes you and your oral health. You can reach us at :
New Patients (763)-347-2159
Current Patients (763)-537-1238