Brushing Teeth While Wearing Braces

Adequate brushing is essential when it comes to maintaining your braces. You should continue to brush your teeth twice a day for a minimum of two minutes with braces however it is advisable that you take extra effort to ensure that you reach hard to reach areas such as behind braces.

You should continue to brush your teeth in a circular motion holding the brush at a 45 degree angle to clean the braces. After doing this, you should use a proxy brush to clean in between brackets.

Doing this regularly will help prevent the growth of plaque and bacteria that can be detrimental to oral health.

Tips for Brushing Teeth When Wearing Braces

• Book an appointment with your dental hygienist: A dental hygienist is the best way to ensure that you fully understand how to look after your braces. They are trained in teaching you how to look after your teeth and you can ask them any questions that you cannot find the answer to anywhere else. An appointment with your dental hygienist is definitely worth the money if it means that you end up with clean braces.
• Rinse your mouth before you start brushing your teeth: This makes it easier to for you to use your toothbrush to reach all areas of your teeth later on while brushing.
• Ensure you brush all areas of your teeth including the insides: Many people forget to brush the insides of their teeth however this can be a hotspot for bacteria to grow. It is essential that you split your time evenly between the different parts of your teeth.
• Brushing your teeth with a timer with you: If you have a clock or a timer next to you when you brush your teeth then you are less likely to brush your teeth for less time then you should.

How to Be Motivated to Brush Teeth Properly

It can be very easy to know how to brush your teeth when wearing braces however it can be a completely different story when you need to brush your teeth and you are exhausted. Many people become tempted to skip brushing their teeth. Not maintaining proper levels of oral hygiene can lead to infections developing, which can be very painful.

The best way to ensure that you brush your teeth for long enough is to use a clock or a timer. Many toothbrushes come with a timer nowadays so if you feel that this will help you brush your teeth properly then you should definitely use one.

Also you should incorporate brushing your teeth as part of your regular schedule as oppose to whenever you have your time then you are less likely to skip brushing your teeth. You should not brush your teeth after straight after eating citrus fruit or sugary food because this reduces the effectiveness of brushing your teeth.

Using a Clean Brush

You should ensure that your brush is clean before using it. Dirty toothbrushes can be a place for bacteria to develop and there is no need to brush your teeth with bacteria! Wash your toothbrush regularly after using

You should also change your toothbrush regularly. If you use an electric toothbrush then you can usually just change the toothbrush heads. When choosing a toothbrush head for an electric toothbrush some manufactures have specialised heads designed for those who wear braces. It is worth asking your dentist which tooth brush head will help you look after your braces best.

A Manual or an Electric Brush: Which Is Better for Those With Braces

There is a lot of debate among people with braces as to whether using a manual or an electric brush is better for looking after braces.

In reality, as long as you maintain a good level of oral hygiene, whether you use a manual or an electric brush will not make a massive difference when it comes to maintaining your braces. You should pick the one that allows you to clean your teeth in the most efficient way possible.

Recently there has been a massive increase in the use of electric toothbrushes. This is because many people find them easier to use since they require less energy to operate. The fast motions of the slowest electric toothbrush simply cannot be matched by a manual toothbrush.

However, using an electric toothbrush does not mean that you can avoid focussing on your brushing technique as this is still essential in order to look after your braces.