You’ve taken that exciting step toward getting a happy, healthy smile that you’ll love flashing at your friends and family. As wonderful as the final outcome of wearing braces can be, however, you will find yourself needing to make some minor adjustments to some of your daily activities while your treatment progresses. One important change you should make is to take a little extra time when you brush and floss your teeth. Here are a few tips from award-winning Plano TX orthodontist Dr. Evan Wilson about how to care for your teeth while in braces.
While brushing and flossing is always important for maintaining healthy gums and teeth, the stakes get a little higher when braces are involved. Your new braces have numerous nooks and crannies where food particles and germs can get trapped. If you don’t take the time to clean your braces and teeth thoroughly, you could end up with stains on your teeth, bad breath, or – even worse – cavities or gum disease.
Don’t get too worried, though. With just a little extra care and attention, you can keep your braces and your teeth clean and healthy throughout your treatment.
To brush your teeth and braces, hold your toothbrush at an angle and move it in a gentle, circular motion. Be careful not to brush too roughly, and use a soft-bristled toothbrush. Stay on each area for at least 10 circular strokes of the toothbrush. Make sure you get all areas of your teeth, too – the front, back, and top of each tooth!
The easiest way to floss with braces is to get a threader. You can ask your Plano TX Orthodontist for advice on where to buy one. Get a piece of floss that is approximately 16 inches long, and pull 4 to 5 inches of it through the threader. Pass the threader through or under your braces appliance. Then detach the threader from the floss and floss between your teeth as normal. Repeat these steps for each space between your teeth.
With just a little extra work, you can feel confident that your smile will be shining its brightest when your treatment with braces is finished. If you have additional questions on oral hygiene best practices while in braces, contact our Plano TX Orthodontist and give our Frisco orthodontics office a call!
This article is not meant as medical advice and is for educational purposes only. If you would like to know more about braces and other orthodontic treatment options, feel free to call Wilson Orthodontics at 972.377.0500 or click here to use our online contact form.