Metal Maintenance: How to Brush and Floss with Braces

Braces are the tried-and-true way to straighten overcrowded, crooked, or misaligned smiles because they can exert the right amount of pressure to shift even the most stubborn teeth. However, they are notorious for trapping bits of food, which can harm your dental health if you’re not careful. It attracts bacteria that work in tandem with acids from the foods you eat to wear down your enamel, which can leave you at an increased risk of cavities and gum disease.

Cleaning your teeth properly is essential to preventing these types of issues, but it can be challenging with metal brackets bonded to your teeth. Continue reading to learn 5 tips for caring for your grin with braces!

Tip #1: Remove Accessories

When brushing and flossing, it’s important to clean all the surfaces of your teeth to ensure that germs have nowhere to hide. If your braces require elastics, bands, or other removable parts, you might want to take them out, so they don’t hinder your ability to access certain sides.

Tip #2: Rinse, First

Before scrubbing your teeth down, it’s a good idea to gently rinse your mouth with water. This can loosen bits of food that are lodged around your braces to get rid of larger pieces before they get caught in the bristles of your toothbrush.

Tip #3: Use the Right Brush

You’ll have to have the right products to reach around and through the brackets because standard brush heads are too large. Look for an option with specially shaped bristles, a narrow neck, and a strong grip. These traits can all make it that much easier to hold the toothbrush at the necessary angles to reach all sides and thoroughly clean the enamel around your orthodontics.   

Tip #4: Try a Floss Threader

Brushing your teeth twice daily is only part of your at-home oral hygiene routine. You should follow this up with flossing to ensure that your gumline remains plaque-free. That said, trying to pull the smooth thread along your teeth can be nearly impossible with sharp metal corners in the way. Fortunately, you can purchase floss threaders that can help direct the string where you need it to be.

Tip #5: Be Gentle

The sharp edges of your orthodontics can cut your floss, so you’ll have to get a new piece and try again. You can save yourself the extra hassle by working as gently as possible. Try to avoid snapping the string by passing it under the main wire of the brackets before sliding it between two teeth. Then, glide it up and down as smoothly as you can to avoid lacerating it with the metal.

Now that you know more about how to properly clean your teeth with traditional braces, you’ll have a perfectly straight, healthy grin to show for it when they come off!

About the Practice

At Bear Creek Family Dentistry, a team of specialists works together to provide a full range of services from several convenient locations. With general dentists and orthodontists on the team, they are experts who can help straighten your smile regardless of your current dental condition. They combine a friendly, welcoming environment with state-of-the-art equipment to increase your comfort while improving the accuracy of treatment results. If you are frustrated by crooked teeth that you want to address, you can request a consultation on the website or call (214) 333-3100.