Fixed orthodontic appliances, commonly known as braces, significantly change the landscape of the mouth. The answer to whether you can receive a professional dental cleaning with braces is yes; it is essential for long-term oral health. The metal brackets and wires create numerous new surfaces and sheltered areas that complicate daily hygiene maintenance. Professional cleanings, combined with diligent at-home care, are necessary to ensure a successful treatment outcome.
The Necessity of Professional Cleanings While Wearing Braces
Braces significantly increase the number of microscopic shelters where food particles and bacterial plaque accumulate. These appliances create nooks and crannies that even meticulous daily brushing and flossing cannot fully access. Over time, this trapped debris hardens into tartar (calculus), which is impossible to remove without professional dental instruments. Because plaque retention elevates the risk of both gum disease and tooth decay, the standard six-month interval for professional cleaning is usually insufficient. Dental professionals recommend increasing the frequency of these appointments to every three or four months to proactively manage the heightened risk of plaque and tartar buildup.
Modified Techniques for Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists adapt their standard protocols to navigate the brackets, bands, and archwires. The cleaning process begins with the careful removal of hardened tartar using specialized tools, including manual scaling instruments and ultrasonic scalers. Ultrasonic tips are used at a lower power setting to gently vibrate and flush away calculus from the enamel surface and along the gumline without damaging the orthodontic hardware. For polishing, the hygienist relies on small-head brushes and specialized angled instruments, as traditional rubber polishing cups are difficult to maneuver. Many clinicians utilize air-powder polishing systems (prophy jets), which use a pressurized stream of water and fine powder to effectively blast away stains and soft debris from hard-to-reach areas.
Common Dental Issues During Orthodontic Treatment
The two most common dental issues associated with wearing braces are White Spot Lesions (WSLs) and Orthodontic Gingivitis. WSLs are areas of enamel decalcification, appearing as chalky, opaque patches on the tooth surface, often visible after brackets are removed. These lesions occur when acid produced by plaque bacteria dissolves minerals in the enamel, particularly around the edges of the brackets, which is a precursor to cavities and can compromise the aesthetic result of treatment. Braces also make it easier for plaque to irritate the gum tissue, leading to Orthodontic Gingivitis. This condition is characterized by inflammation, redness, and bleeding of the gums, which can complicate tooth movement and lengthen treatment time if left unaddressed.
Essential Daily Oral Care for Braces Wearers
Maintaining a clean mouth with braces demands a significant increase in both effort and time commitment from the patient. Proper brushing involves a “two-angle” method: brushing the top of the brackets and the wire from a downward angle, and then brushing the bottom of the brackets and the wire from an upward angle. This technique ensures the bristles effectively clean both the metal and the adjacent tooth surface. Flossing requires specialized tools, such as floss threaders or orthodontic floss like Superfloss, to guide the floss beneath the archwire before cleaning between the teeth. Interdental brushes (proxabrushes) are also useful, featuring small, tapered bristles ideal for cleaning the tight spaces between brackets and wires.