Tips to Keep Your Braces Clean

After your latest visit to your orthodontist clinic in Surrey,, you may have come home with some shiny new braces. Perhaps you are still working to find a Surrey orthodontist, but already have some questions you want answered about having braces. Probably the most difficult part of having braces is keeping them, and your teeth underneath, shiny and clean. Here are some tips on how to help achieve this.

Find the Correct Toothbrush

Your orthodontist may have given you a recommendation, but if not, you must replace your old standard brush with a better option. Some electric toothbrushes, especially one with a round head, are more effective at getting behind the wire and right up to the brackets. There are also specialty toothbrushes with bristles designed specifically for cleaning around braces.

Follow a Brushing Routine

Now that you have gotten the correct toothbrush, make sure to follow a strict brushing routine. Start with the outside of your teeth, giving extra attention to working the bristles underneath the wire and not just on top. Slanting your toothbrush can help with this. After targeting the teeth, then work on cleaning the brackets themselves. Next, brush the inside of your teeth as you normally would, making sure to also give them as much attention as you normally would.

Floss and Mouthwash

Next, you will want to floss in between your teeth. This can be difficult with the wire in your way, but thankfully your orthodontist should have given you a threading wire that you can use to thread the floss past the wire. You could also try using floss picks, but should make sure you thread and floss regularly. You can follow this up with a rinse with a mouthwash to help kill any other bacteria that you may have missed that might love to live on the braces brackets in Surrey.

These dental hygiene steps should help you to keep your braces and teeth shiny and clean. Remember to follow them regularly, and also to avoid especially sticky and difficult food, such as caramel and corn on the cob. 

Dr Wang

Dr. Wang, DDS, MSc, FRCD(C)

ORTHODONTIST

Orthodontic specialist, founder of PacificWest Dental Group. Helping people get the perfect smile since 1994!

Dr Kevin

Dr. Kevin Lee, DMD, MSc, FRCD(C)

ORTHODONTIST

Specialist in Orthodontics, UBC alumni. Love helping patients get a beautiful smile. Part-time clinical instructor at UBC. 

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