Caring For Your Braces
Good brushing habits are more important than ever when you have braces. Brackets, wires, and bands make it difficult to clean your teeth adequately -- so you have to put in the extra effort to maintain oral health!
There are four tools you must have to clean your teeth properly with braces.
- Soft toothbrush
- Proxy brush
- Floss
- Floss threaders
The Three Steps of Caring for Your Braces
1. Use the soft toothbrush to carefully clean above and below the braces. People often do not clean well enough along the gum line. Be sure to concentrate on this area.
When the teeth and brackets are clean, move on to brush the biting surfaces and insides of your teeth. Take your time.
2. Next, use the proxy brush to remove any plaque the toothbrush may have missed. The proxy brush is helpful to clean under the bracket hooks, bands, and under the wire on either side of each bracket.
3. You must floss once a day, preferably before you go to bed. Thread a long piece of floss through the floss threader. Use the threader to feed the floss under the wire. Gently floss under the gums along each adjacent tooth surface. Be sure to floss between all teeth, including those with bands.
