Keeping your teeth and gums healthy daily can be valuable to your future. In addition, having great oral hygiene helps you to achieve the best results from orthodontic treatment. With braces, it may seem quite difficult to establish and maintain a good oral hygiene. However there are some tools and practices that you can use to help you clean your teeth properly and achieve good oral health.
Stick to Brushing Basics
You should take great precaution when choosing brushing tools. Orthodontists, and dentists as well, recommend selecting a toothbrush with soft bristles and one that has longer bristles at the edge and shorter ones at the middle. You can also consider carefully using an electric toothbrush. The power and vibrations of the brush should be moderate. This will help prevent the back of the toothbrush from hitting your braces or oral appliance.
Toothpaste Choices
At I Song Orthodontics in Berkeley, we encourage you to brush using fluoride toothpaste a minimum of two times a day. You should also clean after meals for at least two minutes. There are some areas that you should be keen on while brushing so as not to leave them out. You should also carefully clean between wires and teeth – including the gums as well. This will help you remove trapped food particles which could otherwise lead to tooth decay.
Use Precise Brushing Techniques
You should follow a specific technique to ensure you thoroughly clean your mouth. This will give you the best chances of maintaining good oral health. Placing the tips of your toothbrush bristles against teeth and then using small rounded motions to rub them clean tenderly is one of the best ways. Tilting the toothbrush toward the gum line and maintaining the circular motions will help you clean the areas between your brackets and gums.
For the chewing surface, you should utilize a firm back and forth movement. Finally, you can finish up by cleaning the inside and outside surfaces of your teeth.
Using Special Oral Hygiene Tools
The use of unique tools will help you improve your oral hygiene. One of the popular options is using an interdental toothbrush. This will help you clean the easily overlooked spaces beneath wires and bands. Using the Waterpik shoots helps to eliminate the pieces of food that remain trapped between your teeth.
Read More:
How Orthodontists Differ from Dentists
Important Facts for Parents to Know About Invisalign
Tooth Sensitivity and Braces
How Straight Teeth Benefits You
What You Need to Know About Using Mouthwash with Braces
