Keeping Teeth Clean with Braces
Braces are a great tool for helping you achieve the smile of your dreams! However, for people who are new to wearing braces, keeping your teeth and braces clean and practicing good oral hygiene can be a bit of an unknown path. Maintaining good brushing and flossing habits are essential in ensuring you are preventing cavities as well as keeping your teeth white and bright. When it comes time to have your braces removed, you do not want to see the discoloration from where your teeth had the braces and the surrounding enamel!
Theses enamel decalcifications can totally be prevented with good oral hygiene.
These tips will help to keep you smiling confidently while wearing your braces.
One at a time:
It is important to go slowly when brushing your teeth, making sure you pay attention to each individual tooth. Having braces adds extra “real estate” that needs to be cleaned, so proper angles and brushing technique is crucial. Be sure to brush the tops of teeth and braces with the brush angled down, and then brush the bottom of your teeth and braces with your brush angled up. This helps to get the area where your teeth and braces touch, where food can get stuck. Once you have cleaned the front of your teeth, remember to get the backs of teeth just as thoroughly, as well as brush your tongue and the roof of your mouth.
Floss, floss, floss:
Flossing is probably one of the most neglected aspects of oral hygiene with both folks who wear braces as well as those who do not. However, to keep our pearly whites looking white (as well as to reduce odor or bad breath) getting between your teeth with regular floss or a floss threader is important. By practicing routine flossing you will be able to get the narrow spaces between your teeth that a toothbrush is not able to effectively address. Our team is committed to making sure you have the tools you need to help you clean effectively! We train patients, as well as the parents of our younger patients, on how to use the tools that will help to keep smiles fresh!
Water Pik:
Water Pik is a great tool to have. It will not remove dental plaque which is a precursor to gum disease and cavities, but it will dislodge food and stimulate the gums. When your kids “forget” about what they can and can’t eat with their braces, a water pik is a wonderful way to remove the evidence. Higher pressure settings can also help remove more extreme cases of plaque, so common amongst our tweens and teens.
As futuristic as a water pik might look, they’re actually super easy to use:
- Fill the reservoir with warm water
- Attach the tip of your choosing and set the pressure to your liking
- Point the tip between your teeth and along the gum line at a 90-degree angle, pausing between teeth for a few seconds
- Clean both the cheek side and the tongue side of your teeth
- Et voila! All done.
Orthodontic treatment is an ideal place to learn good oral hygiene because we see patients on a regular basis and we can make sure you’re in-the-know on your kid’s mouth.
Dr. Barry Matza
We love a healthy smile!
Have you always envisioned having the smile of your dreams – or ensuring your kid’s smiles develop top-notch? Our caring and knowledgeable staff in Boca Raton work hard to provide you with unparalleled service and attention.
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or give us a call at (561) 368-3480.
We are here to get your questions answered.