Braces and Oral Hygiene If you are looking in the mirror, and you see a mix of metal, plastic or ceramic, you are one of four million people in the US who have braces. If your dental problems are being treated with braces, you will need to make sure that your braces are as clean as you can make them. This is really important, because we know you want your teeth to be beautiful when it’s finally time to take those braces off. You also need to keep your teeth as clean as possible for your oral health now and in the future. If you don’t practice good dental hygiene while you’re wearing braces, you could endanger your future oral health as well. You might develop cavities underneath your braces, for example. We know that taking care of your oral health while wearing braces is challenging, because brackets and wires make it hard to clean. So how can you practice good oral hygiene while wearing braces? We at Senestraro Family Orthodontics have answers for your oral hygiene questions. What Tools Do You Need to Clean Teeth Effectively?The first tool you need to clean your teeth properly is a small toothbrush. You will need that toothbrush to clean the brackets on your braces. The toothbrush should have flat bristles rather than angled bristles. You also need to make sure the toothbrush bristles are soft, so that they don’t damage your teeth, gums and braces. There are special toothbrushes made for braces, so ask us about them. We should have one for you. Be sure that the toothpaste you are using has fluoride. Fluoride helps to protect your teeth from cavities. You will need to have dental floss as well. Dental floss is actually a very important tool to use for good oral hygiene while you have braces. You will need a floss threader, as well. That way, you can brush and floss your teeth between the wires and brackets. This is vital for keeping your teeth and gums healthy. It does take more time to floss your teeth with braces, but the more you do it, the easier it becomes. How Do I Brush and Floss?If you really want to keep your teeth and gums healthy, you need to brush your teeth more often than you would if you weren’t wearing braces. You will need to brush your teeth after every meal or snack, and right before you go to sleep. Braces make it easier for food particles to become trapped between your teeth and braces. You need to brush under the metal wires and bands. Be sure that you are brushing on the brackets and around the brackets. It is hard to floss with braces as well. It’s difficult because of all the metal in your mouth, but not impossible. You should floss in between your teeth with the floss threader. Floss threaders look like a large needle. These threaders make it easier for you to get the floss underneath the wires. That way, each tooth gets flossed the right way. Did you get braces recently? Are you worried about your oral hygiene? Let us help you. Give Senestraro Family Orthodontics a call at (503) 917-5352. |
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