It is necessary to brush your teeth while undergoing orthodontic treatment. Maintaining excellent oral hygiene is important for both treatment success and overall oral health. While braces require a modified approach to daily cleaning, diligent brushing helps prevent common dental issues. This effort contributes to achieving a healthy, well-aligned smile.
Unique Considerations for Brushing with Braces
Braces introduce new surfaces and intricate structures that can easily trap food particles and plaque. The brackets, wires, and other orthodontic appliances create numerous small crevices where bacteria can accumulate, making cleaning more challenging than with unobstructed teeth. This increases the risk of plaque buildup, especially around the brackets and along the gumline. Without careful attention, these areas can become breeding grounds for bacteria, leading to dental problems.
The presence of orthodontic hardware can also make it harder for toothbrush bristles to reach all tooth surfaces effectively. Food debris can become lodged within the appliance. This constant presence of food and plaque increases the risk for issues like tooth decay and gum inflammation, highlighting the need for a specialized and thorough cleaning regimen.
Step-by-Step Brushing Technique
Effective brushing with braces requires a precise technique to ensure all surfaces are cleaned. Begin by rinsing your mouth with water to dislodge any loose food particles around your braces. Angle your toothbrush bristles downwards, at about a 45-degree angle, to clean the top surfaces of the brackets and the wires. Use gentle, circular motions over each tooth and bracket, ensuring the bristles sweep away debris.
Next, reposition the toothbrush by angling the bristles upwards, again at a 45-degree angle, to clean the areas below the brackets and wires. Continue with gentle, circular motions, focusing on each tooth individually. After addressing the areas around the braces, brush the outer, inner, and chewing surfaces of all your teeth, paying particular attention to the gumline. It is important to brush after every meal and snack to prevent food from sitting on the teeth and braces, which helps reduce the risk of dental problems.
Specialized Oral Hygiene Tools
Several specialized tools can improve oral hygiene when brushing with braces. Orthodontic toothbrushes often feature V-trimmed bristles, designed to navigate around brackets and wires more effectively, allowing for better cleaning of tooth surfaces. Interdental brushes, also known as proxabrushes, are small, cone-shaped brushes that can reach into the tight spaces between wires and under brackets where a regular toothbrush cannot. These tools are useful for dislodging trapped food particles and plaque.
Flossing, an important component of oral hygiene, is made easier with floss threaders or orthodontic floss. Floss threaders are small loops that help guide regular dental floss under the archwire and between teeth, enabling thorough cleaning of interdental spaces. Water flossers, or oral irrigators, use a stream of pressurized water to remove food debris, plaque, and bacteria from around braces and between teeth, reaching areas difficult with traditional methods. A fluoride mouthwash can provide an extra layer of protection against cavities by helping to control plaque buildup and strengthen enamel.
Long-Term Impact of Oral Care
Neglecting oral hygiene during orthodontic treatment can lead to several issues. A common problem is decalcification, which appears as permanent white spots on the tooth enamel around where the brackets were placed once the braces are removed. This demineralization occurs when plaque acids erode the enamel. Poor cleaning also increases the risk of tooth decay, leading to cavities.
Inadequate oral care can result in gum inflammation, known as gingivitis, characterized by redness, swelling, and bleeding gums. If left unaddressed, gingivitis can progress to more severe gum diseases, potentially affecting the supporting structures of the teeth. These issues can compromise the health of your teeth and gums and prolong the overall orthodontic treatment period. Consistent and thorough oral care, including regular dental check-ups and professional cleanings, ensures a successful orthodontic result and healthy teeth and gums for a lifetime.