Expert advice for healthy teeth
Our experienced doctors recommend correctly caring for your teeth with regular flossing and brushing during orthodontic treatment. We know dental hygiene with an appliance can be tricky; we’ve got some tips and tricks to help.
Brushing your teeth
It’s best to use a soft bristled toothbrush with fluoride toothpaste to brush your teeth. We recommend using small circles at a 45-degree angle towards the gum line after every meal, and this may mean brushing up to four times each day. You may find you need to replace your toothbrush more frequently as they can wear out quicker while you are wearing braces.
Learning to Floss
Using floss with braces or other orthodontic appliance may take time to master, but your teeth and gums will be much healthier for it. Our orthodontists recommend that you use dental floss to clean in between the teeth and below the gum every day. If using standard floss is too tricky, pre-cut dental floss with a stiff end (sometimes called super floss) is easier to insert underneath orthodontic wires. Please remember to be careful while flossing not to hurt your gums or damage your braces.
Impact of poor dental hygiene
You will notice that it’s harder to keep your teeth clean while you are wearing braces. Food can becomes caught in the brackets and in between your teeth. Brushing after every meal and flossing helps prevent plaque from forming and should be part of your daily oral care regime. If food or plaque remains on the teeth for any length of time, it can cause white marks (de-calcifications) to form on the surface of the teeth or cause tooth decay. You will need to continue to see your general dentist at least every six months for regular dental check-ups and cleaning.
Contact us to arrange an appointment.
Get in touch with our friendly team, and we’ll help you book an appointment with our specialists.