Keeping Teeth Clean with Braces

Some children and teenagers with braces love being able to pick a new color for their rubber bands at their orthodontics visits and flaunt their colorful smile! However, getting braces also comes with certain responsibilities. Keeping teeth clean with braces can be a difficult task and result in poor oral health if not done properly.

Here are some tips to help your child maintain healthy teeth and gums while they straighten their smile!

Rinse & Floss After Meals

Sticky and sugary foods notoriously get stuck around and between brackets and wires. Have your child swish water around in their mouth to dislodge any trapped food and debris. After rinsing with water, they should use a braces-friendly floss and interdental brush to remove any food the water didn’t remove.

Avoid Certain Foods

Certain foods can damage braces or get stuck in the brackets and wires, thus increasing the risk of dental disease and discoloration. Avoid sticky and sugary foods, as well as hard and chewy foods.

Use Specialized Dental Tools

There are many dental tools on the market designed specifically to help people brush around brackets and wires. For example, proxy brushes are small, pointed brushes made to fit in the hard-to-reach areas around braces. They effortlessly reach around braces to thoroughly clean the difficult spots. In addition to special brushes, there are also many floss options for braces. One of the most widely used is a water flosser. Instead of trying to use a string around the wires, water flossers shoot pressurized water between teeth to easily clean out debris.

Schedule Your Child’s Next Visit

In addition to the recommendations above, make sure your child still has their biannual cleanings and exams here at Tots to Teens Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics. Our dental team will be able to assess their oral health and identify any early-stage dental disease and recommend treatment. We will also perform a thorough cleaning to remove any plaque buildup your child may have missed when brushing and flossing at home.

Questions about keeping your child’s smile healthy during orthodontic treatment? Please contact our office to learn more!

Contact Us

Categorised in: Braces