Oral Hygiene with Braces
Once you have your orthodontic appliances or braces in
place, keeping you teeth, gums and appliances clean is
very important.
Braces, wires, bands and retainers can all trap food
particles and make it difficult to brush or floss away
plaque. Careful brushing and flossing, preferrably after
every meal and snack, is the best way to prevent plaque
build up, tooth decay, and gum disease.
Brushing
Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and a small strip of
fluoride toothpaste, unless the child is under the age
of 3. If a child is younger than age 3, parents should
clean their child’s teeth with water and a soft-bristled
toothbrush. After age 3, parents should supervise
brushing. Use no more than a peasized amount of
toothpaste and make sure children do not swallow excess
toothpaste.
When you brush your teeth, move the brush in small
circular motions to reach food particles that may be
under your gum line. Hold the toothbrush at an angle and
brush slowly and carefully, covering all areas between
teeth and the surface of each tooth. It will take you
several minutes to thoroughly brush your teeth. Brush up
on the lower teeth, down on the upper teeth and the
outside, inside and chewing surface of all of your front
and back teeth. Brush your tongue and the roof of your
mouth before you rinse.
Brush your teeth four times daily to avoid the
accumulation of food particles and plaque:
- In the morning after breakfast
- After lunch or right after school
- After dinner
- At bedtime
As soon as the bristles start to wear down or fray,
replace your toothbrush with a new one. Do not swallow
any toothpaste; rinse your mouth thoroughly with water
after you finish brushing. It is important to carefully
floss and brush daily for optimal oral hygiene.
Step 1
Start with the outside of the teeth, with the brush at a
straight angle. Use circular, vibrating motions.
Step 2
Clean the area between the gums and braces by angling
the brush down (up for the lower jaw). Keep moving in a
small circular motion.
Step 3
Clean the rest of the outside of the teeth by angling
the brush up (down for the lower jaw).
Step 4
Carefully brush the chewing surface of both the upper
and lower jaw.
Step 5
Finish by brushing the inside of the teeth.
Flossing
For areas between the teeth that a toothbrush can’t
reach, dental floss is used to remove food particles and
plaque. Dental floss is a thin thread of waxed nylon
that is used to reach below the gum line and clean
between teeth. It is very important to floss between
your teeth every day.
Pull a small length of floss from the dispenser. Wrap
the ends of the floss tightly around your middle
fingers. Guide the floss between all teeth to the gum
line, pulling out any food particles or plaque. Unwrap
clean floss from around your fingers as you go, so that
you have used the floss from beginning to end when you
finish. Floss behind all of your back teeth.
Floss at night to make sure your teeth are squeaky clean
before you go to bed. When you first begin flossing,
your gums may bleed a little. If the bleeding does not
go away after the first few times, let a staff member
know at your next appointment.
Step 1
Floss at least once a day. The floss needs to be pulled
under the archwire, a floss threader facilitates this.
Start by pulling floss through the threader.
Step 2
Push the end of the floss threader under the archwire
and pull the floss through.
Step 3
Pull the floss up between the teeth, and gently move it
up and down the side of both teeth. Remember to move it
up all the way under the gums.
Step 4
Pull the floss out, and use a different section of it
for the next tooth.
Rinsing
When you are finished brushing and flossing, rinse your
mouth carefully with water or an antiseptic dental
rinse.
An antiseptic dental rinse can help minor gum
inflammations and irritations from orthodontic
appliances. Alse used to cleanse canker sores, minor
wounds and other moutj and gum irritations, this mouth
rinse removes debris, enabling natural healing to ocurr.
Interdental Toothbrush
An interdental toothbrush (proxabrush) is another aid
you might find useful to keep you teeth, braces and gums
clean and healthy. It can be used to clean under
orthodontic wires and around braces. Use this device
slowly and carefully, so you do not damage your braces.
Taking care of your Retainer
Orthodontic appliances tend to accumulate food particles
and plaque just like teeth do. Every time you brush your
teeth, brush your removable appliance. Once a day you
should soak you appliance in a glass of room temperature
tap water with a denture-cleaning tablet. This will help
prevent plaque buildup and oral infections and will keep
your appliance tasting better. Do not use hot water as
it can distort the appliance.
Food to Avoid
For most situations, common sense will tell you what to
avoid - Hard foods can break or damage wires and
brackets. Sticky foods can get caught between brackets
and wires. Minimiza sugary foods; they cause tooth decay
and related problems.
Examples of foods to avoid:
Hard Food:
Ice
Nuts
Pizza Crust
Carrots and Apples
Big Bites:
Whole Fruits
Hamburgers
Pizza
Hot Dogs
Sticky Food:
Gum
Caramel
Gummy Candy
Licorice
Sugary Food:
Ice Cream
Cookies
Soda
Candy |
