Braces: Keeping Your Braces Clean
Although brushing twice a day is the standard oral care recommendation, when you wear braces, you should brush after every time you eat – even after that mid-afternoon snack or those late-night munchies. Brackets and wires make brushing and flossing tough because it is difficult to reach the entire tooth surface, causing food particles to easily become trapped in the braces. The longer those particles stay trapped the greater risk you have of developing dental problems such as tooth decay or staining.
Before You Brush
If you wear rubber bands, the first thing you should do is remove them.
The function of the rubber band is to properly adjust the position of your bite and jaw. You connect them to the brackets, usually by connecting a top tooth bracket with a bottom tooth bracket. Once you have brushed your teeth, you should put the rubber bands back into place.
Next, it helps to start your brushing routine by rinsing with water. This process will help you draw out food particles in your mouth making it easier to remove them.
You can also rinse your mouth when you are unable to brush your teeth. Just make sure to brush your teeth at your earliest convenience.
Brush Your Teeth Thoroughly
When cleaning your teeth, you need to brush not only the surface of each tooth, but also the gum line and the brackets. Hold the brush at a 45-degree angle, brush the gum line first, and then adjust the toothbrush to brush the top and then the bottom of each bracket. Use a soft bristled toothbrush and be gentle while brushing to help prevent any wires or brackets from breaking. After you are done, be sure to rinse your mouth.
An interdental toothbrush is another aid you might find useful in keeping your teeth, braces and gums clean and healthy. It can be used to clean under wires and around braces. Use this device slowly and carefully so you do not damage your braces.
Floss at Least Once a Day
Flossing with braces is a bit more difficult because the wires get in the way of the floss. However, a floss threader can help pull the floss under the wire.
Start by pulling floss through the threader. Then push the end of the threader under the wire and pull the floss through. Remove the threader and gently floss up and down the side of both teeth, remembering to move it up all the way under the gums. Repeat this process for each tooth.
Up Next…Braces: Adjustments
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