If you are wearing braces, you are about to have a perfect-looking smile! Good for you! However, if you want to keep your teeth healthy until you take the braces off, you need to put in a little bit of extra effort and make sure you clean not only your teeth but every bracket and wire.
So, how to properly brush your teeth with braces Calgary?
It only takes a little bit of know-how and practice, and you’ll soon become an expert. Stay tuned for more info on this topic.
How to Brush Your Teeth with Braces: Step by Step
Wearing braces will make the otherwise simple process of removing plaque and food particles a bit more complex and demanding.
What is plaque?
Plaque is a biofilm that continuously accumulates on your teeth. If you fail to remove the plaque, it will turn into a hard yellow material known as tartar. Tartar stains teeth, and you need to turn to your dentist if you want to remove it.
When you wear braces, the plaque has a bunch of places to hide from you and turn into tartar before you remove it. Do not give up the fight, though! After all, the whole point of wearing braces is having a beautiful and healthy smile.
Simply follow the next steps, and you’ll triumph!
1. Establish a routine
When you wear braces, it is not enough to wash your teeth only in the morning and before you go to sleep. You have to do it after every meal too. For best results, wash your teeth whenever you eat something – even a small snack or an ice cream.
2. Get the right tools
You need the right tools to do a good job – brushing your teeth and braces is no exception to this rule. Before you start, make sure you have everything from the following list:
- A mirror
- A cup of water
- Non-abrasive toothpaste
- A toothbrush (manual or electric, it is up to you)
- Floss
- A floss threader
- Interdental brushes
- Mouthwash
3. Rinse your mouth
Take a cup of water, and rinse your mouth out. Make sure you swish the water a bit to loosen up the sticky food particles. Take out all the removable parts of your braces and put them in a safe place.
4. Start brushing the teeth at the right angle
Squeeze some non-abrasive toothpaste onto your toothbrush and start gently brushing your teeth along the gum line. Make sure you hold the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle at first and then shift the angle to reach the tops of the brackets. Finally, brush under the brackets and the wire. Finish by brushing the inner surface of your teeth.
Do not rush! Spend at least two minutes brushing your teeth and braces!
5. Use the interdental brush
You’ll most probably have trouble reaching everywhere due to your braces, and that is why you should use the interdental brush too. It is smaller and more flexible than your regular toothbrush so that you can clean under and around your braces.
6. Floss
It can be pretty challenging to floss with all the brackets and wires attached to your teeth, but it is an essential step. You can use the floss threader to maneuver the string floss in tight spaces. Be gentle, especially around your gums!
7. Rinse once again
It is time to rinse your mouth once again, but this time use an antibacterial mouthwash instead of plain water. It will help eliminate any remaining germs and refresh your breath.
8. Check how you did
Look at your teeth and braces in a mirror to make sure everything is clean and neat. If you are satisfied with the results, replace the elastics, bands, and removable orthodontic appliances. If not, try repeating some of the steps.
If you keep failing, consult your dentist for some advice on how to resolve the issues and improve your technique. We are sure that you will manage it with a little bit of practice!
Congratulations! You are done!
Final words
If you want to avoid tartar build-up, ugly stains, and bad breath, you need to learn how to brush your teeth with braces.
If you follow all the listed steps, you are bound to succeed. Additionally, you can consult your Calgary dentist for advice on how to improve your technique.