How To Brush Your Teeth With Braces

Hi, my name is Dr. Amit Majevadia, and I am the principal dentist here at Prestwood Dental Health Center. I have been practicing for six years and today, we are going to talk about how to clean teeth when you are wearing braces.

I think it's important to start off by saying that when you have got braces, when you are going through orthodontic treatment to move your teeth, it is very, very important to keep your teeth as clean as possible. When you are wearing appliances in the mouth, it is for food and bacteria to get stuck to those appliances, so you have to take extra care in cleaning them. If you are wearing a removable appliance, a removable metal appliance for example, it's a bit easier that it can be removed and brushed with your normal brush and toothpaste.

I'd also advise that after meals, they should be removed and rinsed and you should use some sort of mouthwash ideally. If, however, you are wearing fixed braces, you have an increased chance of food and bacteria getting stuck around the brackets and the wires, and therefore, you have an increased chance of having gum disease or tooth decay, so it is very important to use products such as these that can get in between the teeth and products such as these that can brush in and around the brackets and metal wires. Finally, if you are wearing a clear brace or a clear liner, again it is very important that you keep things nice and clean and free from bacteria.

However, it's a little bit easier, you can simply remove the liner, brush your teeth with your normal toothbrush and paste, flossing between and also clean the liner inside with normal toothbrush and toothpaste. Just to summarize, I can't stress enough how important it is to keep your teeth and braces or liners clean during orthodontic treatment. As I said, it decreases the chance of tooth decay, gum disease, and any stains appearing on the teeth.

If you have any questions or queries, you should always inquire at your dental practice with the dentist or hygienist. So that's just some advice on how to keep your teeth clean whilst wearing braces. .