Brushing with braces can be different from what you’re used to doing, and flossing can seem an even bigger challenge. Yet it’s vital you do both regularly. How do you brush your teeth with braces? How do you floss with braces?

It’s not as difficult as you might think! At Hentscher-Johnson Orthodontics, we’ll offer some suggestions when you get your braces on how best to brush and floss with them. Without good oral hygiene habits, you could have white spots, cavities and tooth decay, gum disease, and even a delay in your orthodontic treatment time. 

Hentscher-Johnson Orthodontics is here to help you maintain great oral hygiene while getting braces or clear aligners. Here are a few tips to help you brush and floss better during your treatment.

Best Ways to Brush With Braces

Use an Electric Toothbrush

The right toothbrush can make brushing with braces much easier. While manual toothbrushes are OK, electric toothbrushes have more scrubbing power. Most also have rotating or moving heads that can reach around brackets and wires and the plaque hiding around them. 

Brush Every Surface of the Tooth

Brush every tooth surface, taking special care to reach the brackets and braces wires and remove as much plaque as possible. 

Brush at Least Twice a Day

Make sure you brush at least twice a day for at least two minutes at a time. Brushing after every meal is best, but sometimes schedules don’t allow this. Just brush every morning and night, and brush after lunch if you can.

Use Fluoride Toothpaste

Brush with fluoride toothpaste for extra protection while wearing braces. Wait half an hour before eating or drinking so the fluoride has time to protect the enamel on your teeth fully. 

Don’t use “whitening” toothpaste, as it will not reach behind the bond of your brackets. Once your braces come off, you could end up with whiter teeth and yellow squares in the middle of your teeth! 

Use a Proximal Brush

If you still have trouble maneuvering those brackets and wires, try using a proximal brush (also called an interdental brush). This spiral brush can easily maneuver wires and brackets to remove plaque and food particles, and it can even slide between teeth. 

Flossing with Braces

Use a Floss Threader

A floss threader for braces is your best tool for flossing with braces. These are thin pieces of plastic with a large eye that you can thread dental floss through. 

You slide the floss threader over or under the archwire and between your teeth, carrying the dental floss. Then you can pull the floss through your teeth as normal, scrubbing between your teeth and below the gum line to remove plaque and food particles. 

Some floss threaders are thin pieces of plastic attached to its own string of dental floss. It doesn’t require threading the floss through the floss threader and provides the right amount of floss for your teeth. 

Water Floss Picks for Braces

Using a water flosser, such as a Waterpik, can help floss your teeth and get out plaque and food particles that may be embedded in your braces brackets. It’s important to remember that floss threaders are a great addition to flossing with dental floss, but it shouldn’t be a substitute.

Water flossers don’t have the scrubbing power of dental floss, and they may not get below the gum line. They can help keep your teeth and gums cleaner between flossings. 

Floss Your Teeth Daily

You should floss your teeth at least once a day before you brush, so you can brush away whatever your dental floss pulls out from between your teeth. Wax floss moves easier between teeth, but unwaxed floss is fine, too.   

It’s long been debated whether it’s better to floss in the morning or at night. Whichever you choose, make certain you floss your teeth every day!

Other Tips for Good Oral Hygiene With Braces

You can do other things to ensure your teeth stay healthy and clean with braces. These tips will help keep your teeth clean between brushing and flossing. 

Use Mouthwash With Braces

Did you know you can use mouthwash with braces? Most mouthwashes have antibacterial properties and will destroy the bacteria that can lead to tooth decay. Some specialized mouthwashes even contain added fluoride. 

Be sure to wait 30 minutes after you brush your teeth for the fluoride in your toothpaste to become fully effective at strengthening your enamel. Then, wait 30 minutes after using the mouthwash before eating or drinking. Once again, this gives the antibacterial and fluoride in the mouthwash time to work most effectively. 

Rinse Your Mouth After Meals

Not everyone can brush their teeth after every meal. If you can’t brush your teeth after lunch, for example, you can rinse your mouth with water. 

Rinsing your mouth after meals has several benefits. It can help remove some of the food particles and bacteria from your teeth and braces. Rinsing with tap water can also add a little fluoride to your teeth, which strengthens your enamel. Rinsing your mouth can also help keep it moist and keep your saliva going, which rinses away plaque and bacteria and reduces your chances of getting tooth decay or gum disease. 

Oral Health and Braces Treatment in Columbia, IL

Brushing and flossing with braces may seem like a challenge at first, but it’s actually easy to do with the right tools. Hentscher-Johnson Orthodontics will guide you on the best ways to brush and floss with braces. 

If you’re ready to start braces treatment in Columbia, IL, or Waterloo, IL, schedule an appointment with Hentscher-Johnson Orthodontics. We’re ready to help you start the journey to your new smile!