Brushing and Flossing

You should brush your teeth morning and night thoroughly with a fluoride toothpaste.

You should make sure that you brush the outside, inside, and top surfaces of your teeth. Use a circular motion when brushing the outside and inside of your teeth and use a back and forth motion when brushing the top of your teeth. [link to “brushing techniques with braces” video] Also be sure to brush the top, bottom, and outside of each brace, making sure to hold the toothbrush at various angles so that the bristles of the brush can properly clean all of the surfaces.

In addition to brushing morning and night, you should also carry a toothbrush with you so that you can briefly clean your teeth and braces after eating anything during the day. If you do not have your toothbrush with you, you should at least rinse your mouth thoroughly with water after eating anything.  

For stubborn pieces of food that get stuck in your braces, you can use a proxabrush [link to brushing with a proxabrush video]

Flossing with braces can be tricky, but it is very important. Floss needs to be threaded through the contact area of each pair of teeth. This can be accomplished with a variety of aids which can be explained to you.