Caring for Braces is One Way that You Can Help Your Treatment
Caring for braces is very important. Doing a good job will help you complete your treatment on time. Of course, your treatment may vary depending on the type of braces you are wearing. For example, wearing Invisalign comes with its own set of specific requirements for eating and cleaning your teeth. This also applies to caring for your Invisalign appliance.
When it comes to caring for fixed braces, check out our special section on what to eat. After every meal and snack, you will want to clean your braces.
How Do I Brush with Braces?
Brushing your teeth is more important than ever when you have braces. But don’t worry. It is pretty easy!
- If you are wearing any elastics, remove them.
- Rinse your toothbrush and apply toothpaste.
- Gently move the toothbrush in short, circular strokes over your teeth and braces at a 45-degree angle.
- Be sure to brush the fronts, backs, and chewing surfaces of all your teeth.
- Brush your teeth thoroughly for two minutes. Mentally divide your teeth into four sections, and spend about 30 seconds in each section. It might help to pick a favorite song and memorize 30 seconds of it. Sing this in your head while you brush. each section so you know when to move to the next section.
- Remember to brush your tongue to remove bacteria and keep your breath fresh.
- When you are done, use the interdental brush (get one from your orthodontist or pharmacy) to brush between the archwires of your braces and your teeth. Interdental brushes are shaped like a little bottle brush. This makes it easy to get into hard-to-reach places.
Here’s a helpful video demonstrating how to brush your teeth while wearing braces, and use an interdental brush correctly.
