5 Tips for Brushing Your Teeth with Braces

It can be challenging to brush your teeth when you have orthodontic braces. Dr. Updike, an Irvine orthodontist, shares her 5 top tips that will help you keep your teeth clean throughout orthodontic treatment.

Tip 1: Use a soft toothbrush

We recommend using a soft toothbrush! It is best to avoid using medium and hard toothbrushes because the bristles will be rubbing against the gums and can cause irritation. We also recommend keeping the area above the braces bracket as clean as possible. This will ensure your teeth look amazing once the braces come off!

Tip 2: Brush for a full 2 minutes

At Updike Orthodontics, you’ll receive a bag of items to help take care of your braces when you first get them on. We may include a timer to use each time you brush your teeth to ensure you brush the full two minutes. Split up your mouth into four sections (top right, bottom right, top left, bottom left) and focus 30 seconds on each of those sections.

Tip 3: Floss

When undergoing orthodontic treatment, every patient is more susceptible to plaque buildup than someone without braces. This is because food can get trapped between brackets and teeth, which will not always be removed completely after brushing. There is now floss that is made specifically made for those with braces that make it easier to thread in-between brackets. Flossing will not only remove plaque but will also maintain healthier gums.

Tip 4: Use a toothpaste you enjoy

This tip is very important, especially for parents with children who are currently undergoing orthodontic treatment. Using toothpaste that you or your child enjoys will encourage them to full for the full 2 minutes. Research has shown the most important factor of good oral hygiene is the amount of time spent brushing one’s teeth.

Tip 5: Use fluoride toothpaste

Many companies have been marketing products that are “green”, “organic”, “natural”, and now “fluoride free”. Fluoride is a mineral used in toothpaste to effectively prevent cavities and strengthen the tooth’s enamel. This is a very important mineral to incorporate on a daily basis when one is undergoing orthodontic treatment. It is also very difficult to fill a cavity when a patient is wearing braces. Often times, the dentist will ask the orthodontist to remove the brackets on the tooth and surrounding teeth in order to properly fill the cavity. This will delay your treatment time and could be an inconvenience to you with multiple office visits.

Overall, we strive to promote good oral hygiene at Updike Orthodontics, and these tips have helped many of our patients. If you have any additional questions regarding braces maintenance or treatment in general, please contact us at (949) 508-0100.