When it comes to brushing your teeth, hopefully, someone taught you the basics a long time ago. After all, brushing your teeth is something you do every day (at least) twice a day. We hope.
However, now that you have braces, there are some things to consider. We asked Dr. Vo to sit down with us and come up with 6 tips for brushing your teeth with braces.
Don’t I Already Know How?
You might think, “I already know how to brush my teeth. What’s the big deal?”
While we here at Texas Family Orthodontics know you already take good care of your teeth, we’re committed to keeping you up to date on some of the challenges that come with your braces regarding your dental hygiene. One of those challenges is ensuring you keep your brackets clear of plaque.
The nitty-gritty on plaque.
Plaque forms continuously in the mouth via the interaction of sugary, starchy foods and the mouth’s natural bacteria. This rougher, calcified form of bacteria can only be removed by a dental professional, and your braces just gave it a bunch of new nooks and crannies to hide in! While plaque is a relative constant in our lives, a good dental hygiene routine removes it before it morphs into its meaner and more persistent cousin, tartar.
But never fear! So long as you follow these simple tips, taking care of your teeth will be a cinch, with or without braces!
Six Steps to a Healthy Smile
Step #1: Consistency is Key.
Now more than ever, it’s vital that you never miss a brush! That means morning and night. We also recommend brushing after snacks, particularly if the snacks are of the offending sugary or starchy variety. (Which all the best snacks tend to be!)
Step #2: Do a pre-brush rinse.
Before you begin your brush, it’s a good idea to take a cup and rinse your mouth out with water. Be sure and swish! This is a great way to help loosen some of the food particles accumulated in some of the harder-to-reach areas of the back teeth, between your brackets, etc. Rinsing is also great to do after you’ve had a snack and you aren’t able to brush your teeth to remove any bigger debris buildup.
Step #3: 45 Degrees, Please!
The American Dental Association recommends you approach your brush sessions with a soft-bristled brush and a nonabrasive toothpaste at a 45-degree angle from the tooth and gum line. Brush gently but firmly, taking special care to interact with the spaces where plaque is likely to hang out – between the teeth and brackets, at the gum line, and in other out-of-the-way areas.
Step #4: Take your time.
Step #4: Take your time. While any brushing is better than no brushing, if you’re simply wetting your teeth and doing a cursory once over with the brush, you’re gonna have a bad time! Spending enough time with your brushing session is vital to clean out all the spaces where the offending plaque can take root! Returning to the ADA, we learn that we should spend at least two minutes brushing to ensure a good clean. However, as braces may make things more difficult at first, it’s also recommended to take even a little extra time!
If you’re having trouble reaching between the brackets, you can use a special dental pick like a proxabrush after your main brushing. The proxabrush is specially designed to fit between your teeth and the brackets, so you can be confident that you’ve taken care of any offending particulates that have managed to avoid your primary run.
Step #5: Be sure and floss!
Flossing is so often forgotten about, but it’s crucially important for maintaining oral hygiene, with or without braces! The ADA reports that as little as 10% of Americans floss daily. If you want your orthodontic care to go as well as possible, you should work hard to be part of that 10%!
We know flossing with braces has unique challenges, which is why a floss threader is a great tool to consider adding to your oral hygiene arsenal. It’s specially designed to help you floss with braces under the wire, and you can pick one up just about anywhere toothbrushes are sold.
Step #6: Use a great mouthwash.
Now that you’ve finished up, it’s time to rinse your mouth with an excellent antibacterial mouthwash. Some brands even offer varieties aimed at braces users, although all that matters is it’s antibacterial. Dr. Vo can recommend one for you if you don’t already have a favorite.
Come by and See us!
Come by and See us! Aside from these six tips, another winning strategy for keeping your teeth their pearly best is to stop by and see your friendly neighborhood orthodontic specialists at Texas Family Orthodontics!
Here at Texas Family Orthodontics, Family isn’t just a part of our name. It’s a part of our promise to you – that you aren’t just a number, you’re a valued member of our community. That’s why we’re always happy to hear from you, and we’re even happier to see you! See you soon!