It’s one thing to have good oral habits (daily brushing and flossing) without braces, but with braces oral hygiene can be a bit more challenging. Your teeth need more care and attention when you have braces on. When it comes to brushing your teeth, the standard rule of twice a day is simply not enough. Anytime you eat, take the time to brush your teeth. (This includes any late night munchies or mid-day snacks!) Food can get stuck in your braces, which if left for too long can cause serious dental problems. At Windermere Orthodontics, we recommend using a soft bristled tooth brush or an electric toothbrush for brushing.

A good start to your routine is to rinse your mouth with water to loosen any leftovers stuck in your braces. Be sure to focus on brushing at the gum line, above and below your brackets. Hold your brush at 45 degrees to ensure you are getting to the right spots! To clean your braces, brush at a downward angle for the top braces and upward angle for the bottom braces. One more rinse post-brush, and you’ll have taken good care of that smile!

Although we may not make the effort to floss twice a day, make sure to floss at least once! Get in between those braces and under your wires for the best results. You can purchase an orthodontic flosser or waxed floss to make it easier to floss. A water flosser may be helpful, but it does not completely replace good old floss.

If you are ever in a jam and don’t have a toothbrush handy, make sure to at least rinse your mouth after eating.

Let’s take good care of that smile with daily cleaning so that it looks amazing at the end!