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Brushing and Flossing With Braces
Keeping your teeth clean while wearing braces is essential for your oral health and treatment progress. Brush at least twice a day using a soft-bristle or bi-level toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste.
You know how important it is to brush and floss properly when you are wearing braces. Use either a soft-bristle or bi-level toothbrush, and brush with fluoride toothpaste at least twice per day, preferably after meals. Brush all surfaces of your teeth, taking extra care to clean between the wires, brackets, and along the gumline using small circular motions for about two minutes each time.
Floss at least once per day using a floss threader to guide the floss under the archwire. Gently clean along both sides of each tooth and just below the gumline until you hear a slight squeak. Replace the floss as you move from one area to another.
Keep Your Smile on Track
Avoid habits like nail biting or chewing on pens and other hard objects, as these can damage your braces. If you notice any loose or bent wires, contact our CDF Family Orthodontics team to schedule a repair.
Contact Your OrthodontistHelpful Cleaning Tools
If you find it difficult to clean around brackets and wires, there are special tools that can help.
An interdental brush, also called a proxabrush, can be used to clean the small spaces under wires and around brackets.
Another helpful tool is a water flosser, which uses a gentle stream of water to remove food and debris. While these are effective additions, they do not replace regular brushing and flossing.
Foods to Avoid
While wearing braces, avoid eating hard, sticky, or sugary foods.
Hard foods can damage wires and brackets, and sticky foods can get caught between them. Try to limit sugary foods, as sugar can cause tooth decay and other problems.
Examples of sticky foods to avoid include gum, licorice, caramels, and toffee. Hard foods to avoid include ice, nuts, hard taco shells, crusty bread, corn on the cob, apples and carrots, bagels, chips, and hard candy.
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