When you have braces, it's very important to brush and floss after every meal in order to keep your teeth and gums healthy throughout your orthodontic treatment. If you need help choosing the right toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss, please ask us and we can help you choose the right products for your teeth and your appliance.
Brushing with Braces
To maximize effectiveness, we recommend brushing your teeth for two minutes after every meal (30 seconds per quadrant) with an electric toothbrush and a toothbrush head desiged specifically for braces (soft-bristled/small cylindrical head). Brush the outside and inside surfaces of your teeth using small, gentle, circular motions while positioning the head of the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to the gum line. Brush your teeth’s chewing surfaces and the inside surface of your front teeth using short, gentle, back-and-forth motions. Pay close attention to the areas around your braces or other appliances.
Flossing with Braces
Flossing after every meal will help keep your teeth and braces clean, which will also help keep your treatment time on track. To floss with braces, Dr. Dugas and the iSmile team recommend using Plackers Orthopick flossers or a floss threader to thread the floss behind each wire. If you find that flossing is not removing all of the food particles between your teeth and around your braces, we recommend purchasing a waterflossr to use each night before bed.
