Braces can make it easier for food and plaque to collect around brackets and wires. Good brushing, flossing, and regular dental care can help keep your teeth and gums healthy throughout orthodontic treatment.
Brackets and wires create additional areas where food and plaque can collect. Without careful daily cleaning, this buildup can increase the risk of cavities, gum inflammation, and permanent white marks on the teeth.
Good oral hygiene helps protect your smile throughout treatment and can make it easier to maintain healthy teeth and gums when your braces are removed.
Brushing carefully around your braces helps remove plaque and food from areas that are easier to miss during orthodontic treatment.
Angle the toothbrush toward the gumline and then toward the brackets so the bristles can clean along the edges of the braces.
Brush the front, top, and bottom of each bracket and gently clean around the archwire and between the brackets.
Do not forget the chewing surfaces and the inside surfaces of the teeth, and brush gently along the gumline.
Flossing helps clean between the teeth and along the gumline where a toothbrush may not reach effectively.
Use a floss threader, orthodontic flosser, or another recommended tool to guide the floss underneath the archwire.
Gently move the floss between the teeth and curve it around each tooth to clean along the sides and just below the gumline.
Floss between each pair of teeth, taking care not to pull or place unnecessary pressure on the brackets and wires.
A few simple tools can make it easier to clean around brackets, wires, and between the teeth during orthodontic treatment.
A floss threader helps guide dental floss underneath the archwire so you can clean between the teeth.
An orthodontic flosser is designed to fit around braces and can make daily flossing faster and easier.
A small interdental brush can help clean around brackets, underneath the archwire, and in other hard-to-reach areas.
A water flosser can help remove food and debris from around braces and may be a useful addition to brushing and traditional flossing.
Avoiding certain foods and habits can help prevent broken brackets, bent wires, and unnecessary treatment delays.
Avoid biting directly into hard foods such as ice, hard candy, popcorn kernels, and very hard nuts, which can damage brackets or wires.
Sticky foods such as caramel, taffy, and chewy candy can pull on brackets and become difficult to clean from around braces.
Avoid chewing on pens, pencils, fingernails, or other hard objects that can place unnecessary pressure on your braces.
Foods such as apples, carrots, and crusty bread can often still be enjoyed when cut into smaller pieces instead of bitten into directly.
If you are having trouble keeping your teeth clean during orthodontic treatment, let our team know so we can help.
Gums that remain red, swollen, tender, or bleed frequently may be a sign that plaque is building up around the teeth and braces.
If food and plaque are consistently collecting around brackets or between the teeth, you may benefit from additional cleaning techniques or tools.
Chalky or white areas developing around brackets can be an early sign that the enamel is being affected by plaque and acid.
If brushing or flossing around your braces feels difficult, ask our team to show you techniques and tools that can make daily cleaning easier.
Learn more about caring for your braces, understanding your orthodontic appliances, and what to do if a problem occurs during treatment.
Learn what brackets, wires, bands, elastics, and other orthodontic components do during treatment.
Learn what to do if you have a loose bracket, poking wire, broken appliance, or another orthodontic problem.
Compare metal braces, crystal clear braces, and clear aligner treatment.
Good oral hygiene helps protect your teeth and gums throughout orthodontic treatment. Our team can help you care for your braces and keep your smile healthy from start to finish.