Keeping Teeth Clean with Dental Braces

keep teeth clean with dental braces

 

 

When you get braces on your teeth, it can be much more challenging to keep things clean, and there will be more tools recommended for you to use daily to keep your teeth and gums healthy. Braces make it more challenging to clean your teeth because of the brackets, bands, archwires, elastics and any other hardware that gets added to help move your teeth. Listed below are several tools you can use to help keep your teeth, gums and the braces clear from plaque accumulation: 

 

Electric Toothbrush 

An electric toothbrush is highly recommended when wearing dental braces because it can access more nooks and crannies and do a better job brushing than a manual toothbrush. It is tough to angle a manual toothbrush around the brackets correctly, and often the gum line is missed. An electric toothbrush helps to get into those tricky areas and can do more brush strokes in 2 minutes of brushing than you can do with a manual toothbrush. 

 

Water Flosser 

A water flosser is a floss aid that helps to flush out bacteria from between your teeth and around your brackets and bands. A water flosser uses a jet of water (or you can put mouthwash into it) that you angle around your braces and gums to help keep them clean. 

 

Superfloss/ Floss Threaders 

These are both aids to help you use manual floss. Because the archwire prevents you from accessing between your teeth with regular floss, you need something to help you get the floss between your teeth from the side. These aids have a hard end on them to help you push the floss through the front teeth rather than going in from the top. 

 

Proxabrush 

This is a small brush that is shaped like a Christmas tree that helps to remove plaque from between brackets. The brush is used to access underneath the archwire to clean the brackets' sides, where it is easy for food debris and plaque to be trapped. 

 

Remember, while wearing dental braces, it is essential to have regular check-ups and cleanings with your dentist and dental hygienist to make sure your teeth and gums are healthy.  

 

If you have any questions about how to clean your teeth while wearing dental braces, we encourage you to contact us today to schedule an appointment.


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Mississauga Dental Arts

(905) 286-1569

Mississauga, ON Dentist
Mississauga Dental Arts
350 Burnhamthorpe Road East #2
Mississauga, ON L5A 3S5
(905) 286-1569