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Brushing With Braces

How to Properly Brush with Braces
Posted on 08/06/2018

close up of bracesOral hygiene is one of the most important parts of maintaining a healthy smile, and when you're undergoing orthodontic treatment, it becomes even more critical. During treatment with Invisalign or braces, your teeth are more vulnerable to the buildup of food, bacteria, and plaque, making them more susceptible to cavities and dental decay. Thankfully, it's easy to prevent these problems with strong oral hygiene – but you do have to know how to properly brush your teeth with braces. At Choonara Orthodontics, we strive to be a comprehensive resource for our orthodontic patients throughout Johannesburg, so here are our tips on brushing with braces.


Oral Hygiene & Braces

Whether you're wearing clear braces or metal braces, brushing with braces is relatively simple, but there are a few tweaks you'll need to make to your brushing technique. As always, you'll want to brush for a full 2 minutes using a fluoridated toothpaste. And while both manual and electric toothbrushes work well, it's important to be careful not to hit your braces with the back of the brush if you're using electric, as that could damage them.


The key to brushing with braces is to recognize that having brackets effectively gives you an extra surface to brush. When you brush the outside of your teeth (or the inside, if you're wearing lingual braces), you'll want to brush both from the top angled down, to get the top side of the bracket, and from the bottom angled up, to get the bottom side. This helps to dislodge any food particles that get caught in your brackets or archwires, preventing plaque and decay.


Aside from that key piece of technique, brushing with braces is relatively similar to brushing normally – and of course, if you're wearing Invisalign instead of braces, you'll simply remove your aligners to brush and won't need any change in technique at all. Remember that while wearing braces, you'll need to brush at least four times daily and floss once a day using floss threaders. By keeping up this schedule, you can prevent dental decay during treatment and ensure you're on track to a beautiful, healthy new smile.


Schedule a Consultation with Your Johannesburg Orthodontist

We hope this blog shed some light on how to brush your teeth with braces, and if you're considering pursuing orthodontic treatment for yourself, we would be thrilled to help. Contact us today to learn more about the treatments we have to offer and schedule your consultation. We look forward to hearing from you, and we're excited to help you achieve your dream smile!

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