Oral care is an important step in maintaining a healthy and beautiful smile. And taking care of braces requires special attention.
Brushing Your Teeth
If you wear braces, it’s essential to properly care for them. Brushing your teeth with a regular toothbrush is indispensable and should become a part of your daily routine—not only in the morning but also in the evening.
In fact, teeth with braces should be brushed after every meal to remove small food particles. This is also crucial because plaque builds up much faster when wearing braces. It’s important to brush thoroughly and follow all the correct techniques.
Am I Brushing My Teeth Correctly?
- Use a toothbrush with soft bristles for the best results.
- Hold the toothbrush so that the bristles can reach under the elastic ligature.
- During the brushing process: Clean each tooth carefully, making sure to reach the areas above, below, and between the braces.
- Brush your upper teeth with downward strokes and the lower teeth with upward strokes.
- Total brushing time should be at least 2-3 minutes—about 10 strokes per tooth.
Maximum Results
To achieve perfectly clean teeth and a beautiful smile, follow these additional tips:
- Use special solutions that dye impurities in your mouth in bright colors. These solutions were once only available to dentists, but they are now accessible to everyone. They are safe and rinse off easily.
- If you have an oral irrigator, use it. It is often used before brushing to remove large food particles stuck between teeth or left in the mouth.
- Perform fluoride treatments at least once a week. This helps prevent oxidation and protects tooth enamel from decay and cavities.
Using Dental Floss with Braces
Cleaning your teeth with dental floss is an additional but no less important measure than brushing. Are you unsure if you can handle flossing with braces? We believe you can! It’s all about technique.
Dental floss is excellent for cleaning debris and food particles from the spaces between your teeth, and braces won’t get in the way. You just need to use floss with reinforced ends so that it’s easier and more convenient to thread it through the archwire. Slide the floss along the tooth surface (with up-and-down motions). Be careful not to apply too much pressure on the wire. Finally, clean thoroughly around the flexible ligature. That’s it—flossing is done!
If you’re still apprehensive about using floss and fear injuring your gums, consider using interdental brushes. These are a great alternative to floss and help clean the spaces between braces and wires.
Leave It to the Professionals – Professional Teeth Cleaning
Using various home cleaning tools for your teeth with braces is commendable. But is it always worth the risk? If you’re unsure of your own abilities, consult a professional.
Orthodontic treatment is not just about fitting braces—it’s a comprehensive process. And home care for braces may not always be sufficient. Daily oral hygiene is important, but professional help should not be neglected. Even thorough home cleaning cannot fully prevent plaque and tartar buildup. That’s why regular dental visits for professional teeth cleaning are highly recommended.
The procedure involves several stages:
- Removal of plaque deposits