Congratulations! You just got braces and are on your way to the smile of your dreams. While the braces journey is an exciting one and a lot easier than one might imagine, there are some extra steps required to reach optimal results. One of the most crucial actions a patient can take is taking ownership and putting a concerted effort into their oral hygiene.

 

 

The brackets and wires in your mouth may seem like a hindrance, but don’t worry! It’s very easy to properly brush and floss around the brackets and wires with a few simple tricks. A manual toothbrush or an electric toothbrush works well to clean your teeth. You first want to brush in a circular motion around each of the brackets.  Next, you need to brush above and below each of the brackets to ensure that all surfaces are clean. Make sure you are brushing for a minimum of two minutes.

Flossing is a little different since there is now a wire attached to each of the brackets which prevents you from flossing normally. Flossing can be done in a few effective ways. The first method is using floss threaders and floss.

A floss threader resembles a large, flexible plastic needle. Using this method, you feed a strand of floss through the loop of the floss threader and then thread the pointed end of the floss threader through the wire at the gum line to floss as normal. You can also forgo using the floss threader and thread your floss between the wires and teeth, but why make it harder? Water picks are also a very popular flossing tool to use as well. Even though flossing is a little more involved than before braces, it still needs to be done to remove food that often gets stuck in between your teeth and around braces. If food and liquids other than water sit on the surface of the teeth continuously, it can cause staining or even cavities.

The last trick that helps with cleaning around the brackets is a tool called an interproximal brush. These brushes look like small Christmas trees.

They are designed to fit perfectly underneath and around the brackets and are great for getting stuck pieces of food out. The brushes are also reusable, and you can simply rinse them with water after each use.

Each of these items can be found in your start bag, which is given to you when you get your braces, or at any drugstore at an affordable price. It is advised that you brush three times a day, typically after every meal. It is also important to keep up with your regular cleanings at the general dentist every six months. Even though it may be difficult on some days, it is crucial to prevent cavities, staining, and other oral health issues that may follow. Furthermore, not keeping up with your oral hygiene can result in the orthodontist taking the braces off and discontinuing treatment to prevent further harm to your teeth. So, to get the best results possible, be sure to take care of your teeth and braces. Your teeth and doctor will thank you!