Hi everyone, it’s Dr. Straffon here at 303 Smiles in Denver, CO, and today I want to share some brushing tips and tricks for when you’re wearing braces. These tips will show you how to properly clean your teeth to make sure that you are on your road to success in keeping a healthy smile.
When it comes to brushing your teeth with braces, I like to tell my patients to think of it as a car wash. When you drive your car into the car wash, it goes through several different steps to get your car clean. It’s the same with brushing your teeth. To get your teeth – and your braces – clean and keep them healthy, you’ll want to follow three simple steps.
Step 1 – Brush Away Food
When you eat, bits of food can get caught on the wires and brackets of your braces so it’s really important to be sure to brush away those particles to keep your teeth and gums healthy. For this first step, all you need is a toothbrush – you don’t need toothpaste or even water.
When you brush your teeth, you want to use small, circular motions and brush above and below your braces. Don’t forget to work the bristles of your toothbrush in behind the archwire to get rid of any food debris that is trapped there.
Step 2 – Swish and Rinse
Now that you’ve brushed your teeth to loosen and remove any stuck-on food, the next step is to rinse it all away. Plain water works fine for this, but Listerine and saltwater rinses are great options too. Whatever you use, you want to make sure to really swish it around in your mouth to rinse away the food debris.
Step 3 – Toothpaste Brushing
For this final step, you’re going to go back in with your toothbrush and toothpaste and brush all surfaces of your teeth and braces – top, front, and bottom – using small, circular motions. Like before, don’t forget to work the bristles behind the archwires. You also want to make sure to gently brush your gum tissue to help keep it healthy.
So those are some tips on brushing with braces from me to you. I hope they help keep your teeth healthy on your smile journey and look forward to seeing you soon.
Dr. Derek Straffon and the team at 303 Smiles proudly serve the Greenwood Village community and surrounding areas, including Cherry Hills and Centennial, Colorado. We offer a range of treatment options including several types of braces as well as Invisalign clear aligners.