Regular brushing and flossing are the most important elements of great dental hygiene, and having braces doesn’t change that, but what does change is the process. Many people are intimidated by brushing and flossing with braces in. With so many new nooks and crannies to deal with, is it even possible to clean everywhere? Absolutely! Just remember to follow these steps at least twice a day:
Wet your toothbrush and apply toothpaste just as you normally would. Hold your toothbrush at about a 45-degree angle to your teeth; this will help the bristles reach the sharp angles between your teeth and the braces.
Brush using a gentle, circular motion. Make sure that you maintain the proper angle to reach every tiny surface of your teeth.
Brush the inner surface of your teeth using the same circular motion. Though you won’t have to work around your braces on the inside surface of your teeth, keeping a slight angle in your brush will help scoop away plaque and ensure better results. You can use the very tip of your brush to get to the inner surface of your front teeth.
Don’t forget your tongue! Many of the bacteria that cause bad breath grow on the surface of your tongue, so spend a few seconds during each brushing session giving it a nice scrub.
Flossing is at least as important as brushing, so don’t quit just yet. Here are the steps for a perfect floss with braces:
Pull out about 18 inches of floss. It sounds like a lot, but this will let you use a clean section of floss for each tooth. (Hint: 18 inches is about the length from your fingertips to your elbow.)
Gently thread the floss behind the wire that connects your braces. If you have trouble doing this, a floss threader could be helpful.
Floss around the edges of each bracket until they’re all clean. Don’t forget to give the wire a gentle scrub, too.
Thread the floss gently between your teeth so that you can floss around your gums. Remember that food, plaque, and bacteria can collect unseen on the inner surfaces of your teeth as well, so make sure not to neglect any invisible areas.
Repeat these steps for the space between every pair of teeth. Flossing in this way at least once a day will help keep your teeth healthy and strong for a lifetime.