How to Properly Clean Your Braces
Though they can be frustrating at times (in both their look and the added maintenance), braces exist for a reason. Not only do they help straighten your smile and boost your confidence, but they also protect you from pain or complications from oral health issues, such as crooked or misaligned teeth.
Of course, all those benefits go straight out the window if you don’t properly maintain and clean your teeth while you have braces. Even if you continue your pre-braces brushing routine, you won’t be able to clean your teeth like you used to. Getting braces requires you to tweak your old routine, and add in a couple more steps, so you can be sure your teeth will shine when your braces are taken off.
To help make the process a little easier, we’ve created an easy-to-follow, step-by-step cleaning method.
Six-steps to properly clean your braces
Get a soft-bristled toothbrush, electric or traditional, to make cleaning gentle, easy, and most effective.
Brush above and below your braces in small, gentle circular motions (do not use side-to-side, ‘saw-like’ motions as you risk damaging your teeth and gums).
Clean between brackets with a proxy brush, which resembles a miniature Christmas Tree on a stick (you can purchase this from an orthodontist or at a local drug store).
Insert the proxy brush from above, under the archwire, and gently move it up and down (this cleans the tooth surface to both the left and right of the braces). Do this between each bracket.
Floss carefully beneath each bracket to reach in-between each tooth (this may take extra time, but it’s worth it).
Gargle and rinse with an antiseptic mouthwash to eliminate bacteria and remove the last bit of any food particles that may be wedged into the brackets.
Use a salt-water rinse to help calm soreness and inflammation, especially when you first get your braces installed.
Just like those without braces, those with braces should brush at least twice per day. But, with braces, make sure to clean and rinse out your mouth from food particles after every meal.
The main way to keep your braces clean
As important as brushing is (and it’s very important), the most important rule for braces is: avoid foods that can get stuck in your braces.
As your dentist likely mentioned when your braces were first put on, cleaning some food out of your braces is nearly impossible. No matter how much you brush, foods like caramel corn, popcorn, chips, candy, corn on the cob, are very difficult to remove. The best solution is to just avoid those foods (as well as any other ingredients that make you question if they’ll get stuck) altogether until your braces come off.
Keep those teeth (and braces) squeaky-clean!
As frustrating as braces can feel, both physically and emotionally (as you also need to sacrifice certain foods for a while), keep your thoughts focussed on the long term. Not only will braces straighten your teeth, but they will help prevent further dental issues down the road.