Top Tips for the Best Ways to Brush and Floss With Braces

You’ve gotten your braces and are on your way to the smile you’ve always wanted. But you get home, look at your smile, and wonder — do you know how to brush your teeth with braces? 

All those wires and brackets may seem a little intimidating, but brushing and flossing with braces isn’t as difficult as you might think. With the right tools, flossing and brushing with braces can be easy. Appel Orthodontics has a few tips to make it easier to keep your braces clean.

Why Should You Brush and Floss With Braces?

You know it’s always important to brush and floss your teeth, but it’s even more important to brush and floss braces. 

It’s never good to get cavities, but it’s definitely not good to get them when you have braces. That’s because we may have to remove part of your braces to treat your cavities. This can slow down your treatment time and extend the date you will get your braces off. 

Poor oral hygiene can also lead to white spots on teeth, particularly around the braces brackets. These spots may not be very visible with braces, but they will be easily visible once the braces come off. 

These white spots are decalcifications of the tooth enamel. The demineralization is a weak spot on the protective coating of your tooth. It is permanent and cannot be removed. You may be able to whiten your teeth to make them less visible.

Demineralization occurs when bacteria and acids from built-up plaque eat away at the tooth, thinning the enamel. This can lead to tooth decay and cavities. 

Gum Disease and Braces

Bad oral hygiene can also lead to periodontal disease. Gum disease with braces is especially bad because it can cause the teeth to move more than we want them to move, which could disrupt your treatment. 

Gingivitis is early-stage gum disease. Symptoms of gingivitis include swollen gum tissue, red gums, or bleeding gums. Advanced periodontal disease can lead to bad breath, a receding gum line, bone loss, and tooth loss. 

Contact Appel Orthodontics if you suspect you’re developing gingivitis. Good oral hygiene may be enough to reverse your gum disease at this stage. 

These reasons are why brushing and flossing with braces is vital. You need healthy teeth and gums to get the best results from braces treatment. 

How Often Should You Brush and Floss With Braces?

Ideally, you should brush your teeth and braces after every meal because it’s so easy for food to get trapped in your braces brackets. We know this may not be possible, but you should brush at least twice a day. Morning and right before bed are the best times to brush. 

Flossing with braces is a little trickier than without braces, but it’s still very important. You need to floss at least once a day before brushing so you can brush away what is left on your teeth after flossing. You need to use dental floss at least once a day.

Some people use water flossers with braces because they can get particles out from around brackets. You can use this in addition to your dental floss at least once a day. 

If you can’t brush after a meal, it’s a good idea to rinse your mouth with water. This will remove as much plaque and food particles as possible, which will help make brushing and flossing easier later. 

Proper Brushing and Flossing With Braces

We want you to have the best braces treatment experience possible. One thing we will do is explain how to brush your teeth with braces using tools that will make it easier. 

Manual toothbrushes are OK, but electric toothbrushes will do a better job with braces. That’s because the vibrating and rotating bristles can get around brackets and knock food particles around and away from them. 

Do you know how to floss with braces? It may seem impossible, but it’s much easier with floss threaders for braces. Some floss threaders are attached to the end of a pre-cut piece of dental floss. Others come separately and look like giant plastic needles thin enough to pass under or over wires and between teeth, pulling the dental floss through. 

As we’ve mentioned, water flossers are a good addition to good oral hygiene habits, but they shouldn’t replace dental floss, which has more scrubbing power. 

Mouthwash can also help keep your teeth clean with braces. Mouthwash can help rinse your mouth between brushings, and fluoride mouthwash can offer extra protection against white spots on teeth.

Brushing your teeth with braces presents a few unique challenges, but it is even more important than when you didn’t have braces! Poor brushing can lead to cavities, gum disease, and other complications that will slow down your treatment. Besides, you want healthy teeth to go with the beautiful smile you’re going to have! So here’s how to brush with braces:

Preparation

Use a soft-bristled, braces-friendly brush specifically designed to get around and in between braces (check to make sure the bristles dip in the middle instead of being level all the way across). Replace frequently (every 2-3 months), because braces wear out a toothbrush even more than usual.

Process

Brush frequently, preferably after every meal, but at least twice a day for sure. Use circular motions to get all the way around your brackets, as well as carefully brushing the backs of your teeth. Be especially sensitive to your back teeth--they can be hard to reach. Brushing should take at least two minutes.

Flossing

Although flossing can be a little more complicated with braces, it’s still necessary. You can find lots of great flossing tools--like floss threaders, Glide threader floss, or Plackers Orthopicks--to make the process easier. Floss at least once a day, preferably at bedtime.

Other tips

If you can’t brush your teeth right after a meal, try using a Proxabrush to remove bits of food. Rinse with water and brush as soon as possible.

Careful brushing ensures that your teeth will be healthy and beautiful when your treatment ends!

Braces Treatment in Philadelphia, PA

A major key to successful braces treatment is keeping good oral hygiene habits. It’s not as difficult as it appears to be. The right tools can make flossing and brushing with braces easier. 

It’s also important to keep your appointments with your orthodontist and dentist. Your dentist can clean your teeth with braces, and they will be able to spot any potential problems, including cavities. 

We will also be able to spot any problems, which is why you need to see your orthodontist as scheduled. If you’re ready to get started with braces in Philadelphia, PA, or explore other treatment options, schedule an appointment with Appel Orthodontics!