DUNROBIN DENTIST CARP: Brushing and Oral Hygiene with Brackets/Braces

DUNROBIN DENTIST CARP: Brushing and Oral Hygiene with Brackets/Braces

Dentists – Dunrobin, Carp and Carleton Place

 

How do I brush my teeth with braces on? It is a question that you are surely asking yourself, now that you have started your orthodontic treatment. This is why at Marchwood Dental Clinic Dunrobin, we have made you a small guide on how you should brush your teeth with braces. It is very simple and becomes even easier once you have adopted and mastered the technique.

But what should I use? Here we address some of your doubts about what to use for the best oral hygiene results with braces.

1.-Orthodontic brushes:

Orthodontic brushes are different from conventional toothbrushes; they have shorter bristles arranged in a V-shape, which makes the surface of the toothbrush adapt to the braces better. This makes cleaning your teeth and gums much easier and effective.

Back and forth brushing movements are typical, trying not to press too hard so as not to cause dislodging of the devices, or damage to your gums. Make sure to extend the brushing movements above and below the braces, until the cleaning process is completed.

2.-Interdental Brushes:

Interdental brushes are small brushes that are used to clean the area between each bracket, and most importantly below the wire and around the gum. The way to use this tool is by inserting the brush just below the arch wire and between each pair of brackets. Back and forth and up/down movements help to achieve a thorough cleaning of the area.

3.-Dental Floss:

To clean with dental floss, special flosses have been created such as SuperFloss by Oral-B, which have a rigid part that is inserted under the arch allowing the floss to penetrate between the teeth, and a soft segment in the middle that cleans the area.

This is a tougher cleaning technique, however, an important one to master in order to ensure that there is no food or plaque left between our teeth.

4.-Electric Brushes:

The electric toothbrush is our preferred form of cleaning. It is used by moving the brush gently from side to side, without the use of excessive force. Semicircular movements back and forth maximize the cleaning of your teeth without dislodging the brackets.

 

Regardless of the cleaning technique you use, it is important to know that good dental hygiene allows you to keep your teeth free of plaque and cavities, problems that can trigger other more serious diseases.

Additionally, by maintaining proper oral hygiene, you avoid demineralization of your enamel and staining of the enamel that can directly affect the aesthetics of your teeth and smile.