The importance in Brushing and Flossing
Brushing and flossing is always important to maintain excellent oral hygiene practices. It is necessary to brush your teeth twice a day for at least two minutes at a time. It is also important to floss at least once daily and obtain dental cleanings every six months. It is especially important to practice optimal oral hygiene when you have braces. In fact, brushing and flossing after every meal when you have braces. Your orthodontist will be able to help you determine the ideal tools to use in conjunction with braces.
Brushing With Braces
It is important to brush your teeth for at least two minutes after every meal when you have braces. You will want to use a small-headed toothbrush with soft bristles, as well as fluoride toothpaste. You may also want to consider using a powered toothbrush to increase the effectiveness of brushing. It is necessary to brush both the outside and the inside surfaces of your teeth.
You will need to use small, circular motions with the head of the toothbrush positioned at a 45-degree angle to the gum line. You’ll want to use short, gentle, back-and-forth strokes to brush the chewing and inside surfaces of your front teeth. Ensure that you pay attention to the areas around your brackets, because these places are likely to retain food particles.
Flossing With Braces
Though you must always floss your teeth once a day, it is important to floss after every meal when you have braces. This will be necessary to help keep your teeth and braces clean. Keeping your teeth clean will even help minimize your overall treatment time. You can use a floss threader or a special orthodontic floss to help thread the floss behind the wire of your braces. You will need to wrap the ends of the floss around the pointer fingers of each hand, leaving a few inches of floss between them. Slide the floss between teeth using a back and forth motion.
You’ll want to ensure that you floss the sides of each tooth beneath the gum line to effectively remove all plaque and food particles. If you’re having difficulty removing all of the food particles, you should consider the use of a water flosser.
Properly caring for your teeth is particularly important when you have braces. It can ensure that your teeth remain healthy and can even result in reduced treatment time. To learn more about brushing and flossing, how to properly care for your teeth while implementing orthodontic treatment, contact us today!
