Maintaining proper oral hygiene while wearing braces is a frequent concern for new patients, since the orthodontic hardware introduces a complex environment for cleaning. Brackets, bands, and wires create numerous tiny spaces where food particles and plaque easily become trapped, significantly increasing the risk of tooth decay and gum inflammation. Thorough cleaning is necessary to prevent plaque buildup, which can lead to permanent white spots, or decalcification, on the enamel once the braces are removed. This cleaning challenge requires a modified approach to your daily routine to ensure your teeth remain healthy throughout treatment.
Using a Standard Toothbrush
The short answer to whether a standard toothbrush can be used with braces is yes, but it is not ideal and requires diligence. The size and uniform bristle pattern of a regular brush make it inefficient at reaching the surfaces of the tooth directly above and below the hardware. If you must use a standard brush, select one with soft bristles, as stiffer bristles can be abrasive to the gums and can damage the brackets and wires. Braces tend to wear down toothbrush bristles quickly, so you may need to replace your brush more frequently than the standard three to four months.
Detailed Brushing Techniques
Effective cleaning with braces depends more on specialized technique than on the type of brush used. Before brushing, rinse your mouth with water to dislodge any loose food debris from the brackets and wires. The correct method involves systematically cleaning each tooth and the surrounding hardware in three distinct steps.
Three-Step Angled Brushing
First, position the toothbrush bristles at a 45-degree angle pointing downward toward the chewing surface to clean the area on top of the brackets and the archwire. Next, shift the brush angle so the bristles point upward at a 45-degree angle, cleaning the surface of the tooth and the gumline located below the brackets and wire. Use gentle, short, circular, or back-and-forth strokes on each tooth for several seconds before moving to the next one. Finally, brush the chewing surfaces and the backs of the teeth using a standard technique.
Essential Specialized Cleaning Aids
Since a regular toothbrush cannot access all the areas around your orthodontic hardware, specialized tools are necessary to achieve a comprehensive clean. Interdental brushes, often called proxabrushes, are small, cone-shaped brushes that are effective for cleaning under the archwire and in the tight spaces between brackets. A water flosser, or oral irrigator, uses a pressurized stream of water to flush out debris. The forceful pulse of water can reach deep into the spaces between the teeth and around the brackets and wires, removing material that brushing may have missed. While an orthodontic toothbrush has V-shaped bristles specifically contoured to clean around brackets, these aids provide a thorough cleaning regimen.
Maintaining Oral Health Beyond Brushing
Beyond thorough brushing, daily flossing is essential for cleaning between the teeth where bristles cannot reach. Traditional string floss requires the use of a floss threader, a flexible loop that helps guide the floss under the archwire between each tooth. This process is time-consuming but necessary to prevent decay on the sides of the teeth. Incorporating a fluoride mouthwash offers an additional layer of protection by helping to remineralize tooth enamel and guard against decalcification. Maintaining regular professional dental cleanings and orthodontic check-ups is also important, as the dental team can remove hardened plaque, or tartar, that may have accumulated.