Derek M. Busciglio. D.M.D., runs Busciglio Orthodontics, an orthodontic and Invisalign provider in Florida. Here he discusses the importance of good oral hygiene when you have braces, which are more difficult to keep clean than just plain old teeth.
Good oral hygiene is always important, but it is even more important if you have braces. Keep on brushing and flossing, even when you are wearing your braces. In fact, we encourage our patients to brush four times a day, once after each meal and once more before they go to bed.
Basic Tutorial
Good oral hygiene is something we go over with the patient. We explain and show them how to keep their teeth and gums clean, and give them all the tools they need for brushing and flossing at their first appointment with us. Basically, we give them a complete tutorial on how to keep their teeth, gums and braces clean during treatment.
During the tutorial, one of my assistants will sit down with them with a mirror and a toothbrush, and show them how to brush their teeth. Brushing is different with braces than without braces. You have to spend more time with braces because there are more places for food to get caught, so you have to be careful to get the particles of food out.
Flossing is also important. It takes a little bit longer when you are wearing braces but you have to floss. The whole reason of doing that is to prevent gingivitis and decalcification on the teeth.
Foods to Avoid
There are whole lists of foods you need to avoid, and we provide the whole list on paper for our patients. Examples would be hard crunchy foods, sticky foods, soda pop, anything that can potentially pop the brackets off the teeth while chewing.
We want our patients who have braces to stick with a softer diet and be sure to cut food into smaller pieces. This is important, so that the treatment will not be slowed. You can avoid most emergency appointments by sticking to what we prescribe during the duration of your braces-wearing time.
Cleaning Appliances
If our patients later have a retainer, it also needs to be kept clean. That is done with a toothbrush and some warm water, just always trying to maintain the cleanliness of the appliance by brushing off food and any buildup that gets on it.
We also recommend the following for all our patients:
- Interdental Toothbrush: A Proxabrush is an interdental (between the teeth) toothbrush that you may use to clean underneath and around your wires and braces. Use the Proxabrush gently to avoid damaging your wires. The Proxabrush will help you clean your braces while maintaining healthy teeth and gums.
- Antibacterial Mouthwash: Antibacterial mouthwashes like Peroxyl, a hydrogen peroxide antiseptic mouth rinse, will reduce inflammation to your gums and cheeks.
- Topical Fluoride: Flouride toothpaste like Prevident 5000 toothpaste is a prescription toothpaste you can get in our office to help prevent tooth decalcifications during treatment.
Keeping braces clean — thus making the rest of your treatment progress faster and easier — is not difficult when you know how. That’s why we stress the importance of cleanliness when it comes to braces, and teach our patients what is required at their first visit to us, saving time and making problems unnecessary in future.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
