Cleaning your Braces and
Teeth During Treatment
It is important to maintain good oral hygiene anytime, but extra care must be taken during your Orthodontic treatment to ensure that food does not remain “trapped” around the surfaces of your braces, which could lead to cavities.
With a little care and effort, it is easy to maintain excellent oral hygiene throughout your Orthodontic treatment. The most important aspect of this is maintaining regular check-ups with your General Dentist. Here are some other tips that will help:
Brushing and Flossing
- Brush and floss regularly after every meal.
- You can use a regular soft toothbrush, but most orthodontists recommend an orthodontic-cut toothbrush, where the bristles in the middle are lower than the bristles on the edges.
- An investment in a good quality electric toothbrush is worth considering to help clean those hard to reach areas. Brands to consider are Phillips Sonicare or Oral-B Braun Sonic Complete. You can also talk to your orthodontist and see if they have any specific recommendations.
- Flossing takes a bit more effort when you are wearing braces, but it is extremely important. A floss threader can be purchased at any pharmacy and is needed to get the floss under your orthodontic wires and between your teeth. Alternatively, you can purchase floss that has a “stiff” insertion end, which will accomplish the same thing.
- Interdental brushes can also be purchased at the pharmacy, and can be useful for fitting between the orthodontic wires and your teeth to remove hard to reach plaque and debris.
- Oral irrigators (such as a Waterpik) can be used as an adjunct to brushing and flossing. This also helps remove food debris and plaque.
- A mouthwash containing fluoride can be used to help prevent cavities.
