Brushing & Flossing Tips
Smiles in Progress
Maintain the Perfect Smile
Maintaining excellent oral hygiene is always important but it’s especially important when you have braces. If plaque builds up on your teeth and around your braces, you could develop swollen gums, bad breath, cavities and discolored teeth. You should brush your teeth after every meal so make sure you bring a small toothbrush with you to school or work. With braces, your toothbrush will wear out faster so make sure you replace it when the bristles start to fray. Flossing is a must, but can be a little tricky at first. We’ll make sure you know exactly how to floss with braces before you leave our office. Floss threaders and waterpiks may come in handy!
Brushing
- Use a soft bristle toothbrush
- Use a small amount of toothpaste
- Use circular motions around the gumline for about 10 seconds on each tooth
- Brush every tooth slowly, making sure you get around your brackets
- Brush the lower teeth up and the upper teeth down
- Don’t forget to brush your tongue and roof of your mouth!
Flossing
- Carefully pull waxed floss between wire and braces
- Floss carefully around braces
- Floss carefully around gum area
- Floss around each tooth
