Brushing and Flossing
Brushing with Braces
Brush your teeth for two minutes after every meal (3 to 4 times a day) with a soft-bristled, small-headed toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. Either manual or powered toothbrushes are fine as long as they’re used correctly.
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.
Our hygienists will instruct you how to brush properly at your first visit and will be happy to give you tips or refresh your memory at each subsequent appointment.
Flossing with Braces
Flossing after every meal will help to keep your teeth and braces clean, which will also 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, but leave 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 that your floss is not removing all the food particles between your teeth and around your braces, ask us about a water flosser.
As with brushing, we will monitor the health of your gums at each visit and are more than happy to show you how to floss better, faster, and easier!
