Maintaining Oral Hygiene With Braces |
Maintaining oral hygiene is extremely important, especially when you wear braces. Use these tips to take extra care with brushing, flossing and rinsing when caring for your smile at home. It is also important to visit your dentist twice per year for a proper dental exam.
Rinse with water before every brushing and flossing. An oral irrigator is recommended for all patients.
This device sends a pressurized stream of water which helps remove stuck food.
It is used before brushing and does not replace brushing or flossing.
Floss every day using a threader or "Superfloss”.
It is important to surround the teeth by rubbing on each side and go under the gum line with the floss.
Practice flossing every day!
Brush 3-4 times a day for about 2-3 minutes every brushing. The brush must be placed at 45° on the gums, The bristles placed toward the braces (diagonally into the space between the gum and casings). This is where everything builds up. Brush 2-3 teeth at a time, with small circular movements made in the same place for at least 10 seconds. Then brush the other surfaces of your teeth and your tongue.
The bristles of your toothbrush should be soft or ultra-soft. If not they are too hard! The size should be small or compact for children and adults. The manual toothbrush "orthodontic"is a very good choice
An electric toothbrush can be a very good choice, it does not break braces.
However, it must be use in the same way as manual brushing (placed at 45 ° on the gum). "Oral-b" electrical toothbrushes are an excellent choice.
The Proxabrush is a great tool to to get a better clean between teeth.
We recommend using a proxabrush 2x a day to brush around the brackets. Brush each side of the brackets very closely.
Intermittent use 1x a day of fluoride rinses "Anti-caries agent" from Oral-B or "Fluorinse" from Oral-B is recommended during treatment to prevent tooth decay.
This fluoride rinsing is done as the last step of your oral hygiene routine.
Then avoid drinking or eating for the following 30 minutes.
Please note that we work as a team with your dentist!
A periodic exam and cleaning done by your dentist every 6 months is> essential during orthodontic treatment.
Warning: Plaque that accumulates around your braces cause irreversible stains! These are surface cavities that cannot be repaired.
