How to brush your teeth with braces on?

If you have landed on this page somehow, we assume you recently got braces or are thinking of getting braces for your teeth. Either way this blog will be of help to you. Today we write on how to take care of your teeth after you get braces, more specifically how to brush your teeth with braces on. 

Regular brushing and flossing become all the more important when you have braces. This is because with braces on it is easy to miss the plaque build up on the teeth. The reason being now the food has a greater number of places to hide and stick to besides the gaps in between the teeth. This means you will have to spend a little more time on cleaning those teeth but it will be worth it. 

What tools will help you brush your teeth best with braces? 

With braces you need some different tools to help keep your teeth clean. These include the following – 

1. An electric toothbrush – Electric toothbrushes are more effective and gentler and some come specially designed to clean around the braces. If you cannot get one though you can always use a manual toothbrush with soft bristles and not brush too hard. 

2. A non-abrasive toothpaste – Many toothpastes contain whitening agents. With braces on these whitening agents may whiten your teeth unevenly leaving your enamel with different shades of white.   

3. Floss – Use waxed floss thread or a water flosser or an interdental brush for flossing between your teeth with braces on. It is advisable to use waxed floss because the unwaxed one can get caught and shred in the braces.  

4. Mouthwash – mouthwash is useful to get rid of the bacteria in the mouth. 

How to brush with braces on? 

Normally dentists advise brushing twice a day but with braces on it is advisable to brush your teeth after every meal. Here is how to brush your teeth – 

1. Before you start brushing, rinse your mouth with water. This will get rid of any food particles stuck between the teeth. 

2. Remove the elastics and other removable parts of the braces.  

3. Hold the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle and brush along the gum line of your front teeth. Gently brush vertically in the direction of the brackets. 

4. Next do the same for brushing the tops of the brackets going back and forth and under the brackets and the wire.  

5. Use short brushing circular strokes and brush the outside, inside and the chewing surfaces of the teeth. 

6. Focus on cleaning one teeth at a time before moving on to the next. 

7. Remember not to brush too hard as it can damage the brackets of your braces. 

8. Take your time to ensure your teeth are cleaned properly. This may initially take longer time to complete than you expect to spend on brushing your teeth but eventually you will get used to it. 

9.  If you have trouble reaching some surfaces of the teeth use interdental brushes. However use the interdental brushes only once a day.  

10. Floss at least once a day. Do it gently. You can consider using water flossers. Read all about it in our blog Water Flossing. Flossing with brackets and wires attached to the teeth can be a little tricky and time consuming but it is a very important part of your oral hygiene routine.  

11. Use a mouthwash to rinse after you have brushed and flossed your teeth. 

12. After you are done with it all make sure to examine your teeth in close up mirror to ensure you have cleaned your teeth thoroughly. 

Some young kids may not be able to do all of this by themselves and may need the help of an adult at home. Some other things you can do to protect your teeth with braces on is to eat the right kind of food. 

Avoid eating the following – 

1. Hard to eat food like candy, corn on the cob, apples, pretzels, nuts, carrots, ice etc. 

2. Sticky substances like caramel, chocolate and bubble gums. 

3. Cut back on sugary food items and sugary drinks like soda. 

Eat a well-balanced diet with appropriate amounts of protein, fiber, good fats and some carbs.  

With braces on it is important to visit your orthodontist regularly for adjustments and check-ups. The dentist can help not only answer our queries regarding the upkeep of our teeth with braces but also get rid of or repair any broken pieces and take care of cavities if any.  

Knowing how to brush your teeth with braces is important because plaque builds up fast and can turn into tartar quickly. This can lead to teeth staining, cavities and gum diseases in no time. With proper oral care routine, you will be able to keep your teeth healthy when you have braces on and when the braces are removed you will be left with shining bright straight beautiful smile on your face. 

We hope this blog was informative and useful. Please share it with your family and friends if you liked it. For any dental queries, you can always call Ensure Dental Care on 940-274-3229. You can also schedule an appointment with us. Ensure Dental Care offers emergency dental services. Regardless of your issue we offer same day emergency treatments. We entertain walk ins also. 

We are the family dentist near you. Ensure Dental Care is the one of the best family dental clinics at Saginaw Texas. We accept all major insurance providers. We also have in house payment plan. We have a very experienced and professional team of dental practitioners and we look forward to serving you to the best of our abilities. 

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