During orthodontic treatment it is essential that you brush your teeth at least four times day: after each meal and before you go to bed. This removes food and plaque that get stuck in between teeth and braces. Plaque is a colorless film of bacteria that sticks to your teeth. It can cause cavities, swollen gums, bad breath, and permanent stains on your teeth. The best way to remove plaque is by brushing and flossing thoroughly until your braces are spotless.
Unfortunately, many patients rush through brushing and miss some of the plaque. To prevent this, use a soft toothbrush with fluoride toothpaste to brush gently around each bracket. Drobocky Orthodontics recommends changing your toothbrush every three months or sooner if it is showing signs of wear. When you are brushing, use your brush on all the surfaces of your teeth as well as your gums and tongue. Don’t forget to brush behind your teeth. Proper brushing should take at least 2 minutes. If you cannot get behind a wire you can use an Inter proximal brush. This tool is designed to brush under your archwire to remove plaque and food particles around your brackets. These can be purchased at your local supermarket in the dental hygiene section.
Once you are done brushing, floss in between your teeth to remove particles trapped the crevices. Be sure to do this at least once a day. To begin, cut an 18” length of floss and loop the ends around your fingers. Slide the floss under your wire and in between your teeth and gums. If you are having difficulty doing this you can use a floss threader to guide the floss around your wires and brackets.
It is very important that you keep your teeth clean during Web Link treatment. If you allow plaque to build up around your braces for extended periods of time, it can leave permanent stains on your teeth when your braces are removed. This damage is called decalcification and stains are permanent. Don’t worry, as long as you keep your teeth clean this won’t become a problem. To summarize, brush your teeth after every meal and before you go to bed. Floss at least once a day to remove the plaque behind your teeth. If you follow these simple steps you are well on your way to a beautiful smile.
