Oral Health: How To Care for Your Braces

Brushing and Flossing With Braces

Brushing and flossing are essential to remove food particles and plaque buildup and protect tooth enamel while wearing braces. Here are the best practices to ensure you clean your teeth properly.

Brushing With Braces

Try to brush your teeth after every meal to remove food debris that gets caught around the brackets and under the archwire. This will prevent bad breath, swollen gums, and tooth decay. If you cannot brush your teeth regularly after meals, rinse your mouth with clean water when you’re done eating, and brush at least twice daily.

Here are the steps for brushing your teeth and cleaning braces thoroughly:

• Ask your dentist to recommend the best toothbrush for braces that can keep your teeth clean between office visits.
• Before brushing, remove elastic bands or other removable orthodontic equipment.
• Use fluoride toothpaste with either a manual toothbrush or an electric toothbrush to support healthy tooth enamel.
• Carefully clean the top and bottom archwires, as well as the area around the brackets.
• Use a circular scrubbing motion to gently brush all chewing surfaces of the upper teeth and the lower teeth.
• Bite your teeth together and brush the front of the teeth and around the gum line.
• After brushing for at least two minutes, rinse your mouth thoroughly and check your teeth in the mirror for any remaining buildup.
• If necessary, go over your teeth again to ensure your smile is clean and fresh.

Flossing With Braces

Flossing with braces is challenging because you have to work around the archwire to remove trapped food from between the teeth and under the gum line. However, it is an essential part of your oral hygiene routine. Your orthodontist will likely recommend using a floss threader with dental floss, or an interdental brush to effectively clean your teeth.

Here are the proper steps for removing food debris and plaque buildup with floss:

• Aim to floss at least once a day to prevent bacteria from settling between your teeth.
• Pull about 18 to 24 inches of waxed dental floss to use for each flossing session.
• Use a floss threader to gently thread dental floss under the archwire, where it can reach the gums.
• Without too much force, move the floss up and down between the teeth and just under the gum line.
• Remove the floss, thread it between the next pair of teeth, and repeat this process until all teeth have been done.
• Rinse your mouth to remove loose food particles and buildup for optimal dental hygiene.

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The Braces-Friendly Diet: What To Eat and What To Avoid

Be mindful of your diet to prevent damaging your braces and compromising the effectiveness of your treatment. Diet tips with braces include avoiding certain foods that can affect the brackets and wires, such as sticky or chewy foods. Here are foods that are safe to eat with braces, as well as foods to avoid.

“Yes” List of Foods To Eat With Braces

In general, stick with soft foods that are easy to chew when you have braces. Examples of foods you can eat during treatment include:

• Soft fruits and vegetables
• Eggs, yogurt, and cheese
• Pasta
• Smoothies
• Soups and stews
• Soft breads and sandwiches
• Soft-cooked chicken, fish, and other proteins

“No” List of Foods To Avoid With Braces

Many foods are damaging to braces and should be avoided whenever possible, such as:

• Gum, taffy, caramel, and other sticky foods
• Popcorn, granola, nuts, and other hard foods
• Candy, sodas, and other sugary foods
• Beef jerky and tough meats that are hard to chew
• Whole apples and other hard fruits that are not cut up
• Hard, crusty breads and rolls

Handling Common Braces Issues and Emergencies

If you have severe irritation, soreness, or a broken bracket or archwire, seek braces emergency care to relieve the discomfort, repair the damage, and get your treatment back on track.

A dental professional can help with common issues and orthodontic emergencies, like:

• General soreness and discomfort: A warm salt water rinse and over-the-counter pain relievers are used to help with braces discomfort until you can see your dentist.

• Loose bracket or band: Cover the damaged bracket with orthodontic wax and schedule an appointment at Absolute Dental as soon as possible.

• Poking wire: If possible, use a pencil eraser or cotton swab to carefully push the archwire back into place. Cover with wax and call our office immediately.
• Protecting braces during sports: Wear a protective mouth guard to avoid injuries and damage. Absolute Dental offers customized mouth guards and other Las Vegas dental services to keep your smile safe during recreational activities.

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