Do You Know How To Properly Brush With Braces?

Proper Oral Hygiene for Braces

Good oral hygiene is crucial if you want to avoid dental problems such as gingivitis and tooth decay. However, taking care of your teeth when you have braces can be overwhelming at first. Since thorough oral hygiene is more difficult with braces, people that have braces are more prone to dental problems. Learning the proper way to care for your teeth and brush with braces is important if you want to protect your smile. The following tips can help.

Swish

Swishing water before you brush can help rid your mouth of food particles. This simple step helps prepare your mouth for brushing.

Brush

It’s important to brush your teeth after every meal and before going to bed. Brushing helps remove the plaque and debris that is surrounding your braces. Braces create a lot of space for plaque to hide. Plaque can cause cavities, swollen gums and permanent staining of the teeth. Plaque must be thoroughly removed to prevent these dental problems.

Use a round-ended, soft bristled toothbrush and brush for a full two minutes. Make sure that you brush all parts of your teeth. You’ll know you’ve done a good job if your braces are shiny and you can clearly see the edges of all brackets.

Rinse

After brushing, a fluoride mouth rinse can help prevent cavities and keep your tooth enamel strong. When plaque and sugar combine under braces, they can cause decalcification. Decalcification can lead to white spots on the teeth after braces are removed. Your orthodontist can prescribe a special fluoride mouth rinse to help limit the amount of decalcification.

Proper care of your teeth is important, whether you have braces or not. Even though dental hygiene can be a little more difficult with braces, with the right knowledge and a little practice you can have the smile you’ve always dreamed of.

Sunrise Orthodontics offers state-of-the-art orthodontic treatments from our office in Reston, Virginia. We believe that good oral care comes from open communication. By working together, we can help you achieve the gorgeous smile you were meant to have. Please contact us for more information about our practice.