Brushing with Braces
Our office recommends that all orthodontic patients brush their teeth a minimum of four times a day for two minutes with a soft-bristled, small-headed toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. As an alternative, patinets can use a powered toothbrush such as a Sonicare, which research studies have shown to be significantly more effective in plaque removal!
Brush the outside and inside surfaces of your teeth using small, gentle, circular motions while positioning the head of the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to the gum line. Brush your teeth’s chewing surfaces and the inside surface of your front teeth using short, gentle, back-and-forth motions.
Pay close attention to the areas around your brackets or other appliances.
Flossing with Braces
Flossing after every meal will help keep your teeth and braces clean, which will also help keep your treatment time on track. To floss with braces, use a floss threader or special orthodontic floss to thread the floss behind each wire.
Wrap the ends of the floss around your pointer fingers of both hands, leaving a few inches of taut floss between them. Gently slide the floss between each set of teeth using a back-and-forth motion. Floss the sides of each tooth beneath the gum line to remove plaque and food particles.
Repeat this process until you’ve flossed all your teeth. If you find your floss is not removing all the food particles between your teeth and around your braces, ask us about a water flosser!
Waterpik
Waterpik devices have been shown to be highly effective for improving dental health, and they are like a mini powerwasher for your teeth and gums. It's like flossing with water! We recommed using a Water Pik or similar device once or twice a day as a supplement to brushing.
MOUTH RINSES
Mouth rinses are highly effective in keeping your mouth healthy! We recommend rinsing with three different over the counter rinses. Alternating these rinses after each time you brush will make a big difference in your oral health with or without braces! It's a lot of rinsing, but it's worth it.
ACT MOUTHASH
ACT is a sodium flouride rinse that has been shown to be very effective in decreasng the risk of cavities and demineralization (enamel loss). When you are wearing braces, you can rinse with ACT and spit it our 2-4 times a day.
LISTERINE
Listerine contains 4 essential oils, Eucalyptol, Menthol, Methyl Salicylate, and Thymol mixed with alcohol. This formulation has been shown to be very efficatious in maintaining gum tissue helath by killing the bacteria that cause inflammation. Rinse with Listerine 1-2 times a day and spit it out.
CLOSYS
Closys contains an active ingredient called chlorine dioxide. This ingreidient is excellent at killing the bacteria that cause plaque build up. Additionally, it elimintaes volatile sulfers that cause bad breath. Rinse with Closys 1-2 times a day and spit it out.