When you have braces, brushing and flossing after every meal really matters. It keeps your teeth and gums healthy all the way through treatment.
Brushing with Braces
Brush for two minutes after every meal with a soft-bristled, small-headed toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. A powered toothbrush works great too if you want a little extra cleaning power.
Using small circles, brush along the gumline, then above and below your braces. After that, brush the chewing surfaces and the inside of your front teeth with short, gentle, back-and-forth strokes.
Pay close attention to the areas around your brackets and other appliances.
Flossing with Braces
Use a floss threader or special orthodontic floss to slide the floss behind each wire.
Wrap the ends around the pointer fingers of both hands, leaving a few inches of taut floss between them.
Gently work the floss between each set of teeth with a back-and-forth motion. Floss the sides of each tooth beneath the gumline to clear away plaque and food particles.
Keep going until you've flossed every tooth.
A water flosser is also a handy way to clear plaque from around your appliances.
