Brushing and Flossing

When you have braces, it's very important to brush and floss after every meal to keep your teeth and gums healthy throughout your orthodontic treatment. If you need help choosing the right toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss, please ask us, and we can help. 

BRUSHING WITH BRACES

After every meal, brush your teeth for two minutes with a soft-bristled, small-headed toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. You can also use a powered toothbrush to increase your brushing effectiveness.

Brush the outside and inside surfaces of your teeth using small, gentle, circular motions while positioning the head of the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to the gum line. Brush the chewing surfaces of your teeth and the inside surface of your front teeth using short, gentle, back-and-forth motions. Pay close attention to the areas around your brackets.

FLOSSING WITH BRACES

Flossing after every meal will help keep your teeth and braces clean, which will also help keep your treatment time on track. To floss with braces, use a floss threader or special orthodontic floss to thread the floss behind each wire.

Wrap the ends of the floss around your pointer fingers of both hands, leaving a few inches of taut floss between them. Gently slide the floss between each set of teeth using a back-and-forth motion. Floss the sides of each tooth beneath the gum line to remove plaque and food particles. If your floss is not removing all of the food particles between your teeth and around your braces, opt for a water flosser.