How to Brush Your Teeth with Braces

If you have braces, then brushing your teeth may feel like a chore. Not only do you need to choose the right toothbrush – whether manual or electric – for the job, but you also have to consider floss, mouthwash, and specialist orthodontic brushes to ensure your teeth remain in the best shape possible while you’re undergoing treatment.

Failure to brush your teeth correctly will not only impact how your teeth look at the end of treatment, but it could also lead to problems such as tooth decay and gum disease.

Below, you’ll find our step-by-step guide on how to brush your teeth with braces. Follow such a hygiene routine and not only will your teeth be clean and healthy throughout your treatment, you’ll also ensure they’re looking bright and gleaming once those braces come off.

Do the type of braces affect my brushing routine?

There are five different types of braces; the cleaning routine you should follow for four out of these five is the same. These are:

• Metal – These are probably the style you’ll picture when you think of braces. Metal braces use stainless steel bands, brackets and wires to change the position of teeth over time. They sit on the front of your teeth and are visible when you smile.

• Ceramic – Working in the same way as metal braces, ceramic braces differ in that they’re tooth-colored rather than metal. They’re more fragile than metal braces, but they won’t be as visible when you smile.

• Lingual – Similar to metal braces, but rather than fitting to the front of the teeth, they sit at the back, making it difficult for others to even notice that you have braces.

• Self-ligating – In appearance, these look the same as metal braces, but instead of elastic bands, these braces use a built-in system to hold the wires in place.

• Clear aligners – Totally different to all the versions above, clear aligners take the form of a plastic tray that fits over your teeth, with the length of time they’re worn for being determined by your orthodontist.

How often should I brush my teeth with braces?

At the very minimum, whether or not you wear braces, you should brush your teeth twice a day – as recommended by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). However, those with braces may feel the need to brush more frequently.

Orthodontists at Omar Orthodontics recommend that you brush your teeth “after every meal and snack”. This will help to prevent the build-up of plaque in and around your braces, which can occur when food is left sitting on the teeth for too long. Plaque is a sticky, colorless film that can stain your teeth, at which point it can only be removed by a dental professional.

A build-up of plaque during orthodontic treatment could cause discoloration and leave uneven patches on your teeth once braces are removed. Therefore, it’s best to brush your teeth at least twice a day – but the more often you can, the better.

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Do I need a special toothbrush for braces?

Alongside your regular manual or electric toothbrush, you’ll need some smaller brushes known as Proxabrushes to clean in between your braces. Looking a little like small pipe cleaners with a plastic handle, they’re able to maneuver around certain areas of your teeth that an ordinary toothbrush might miss.

There are plenty available on Amazon, or you can ask your orthodontist for recommendations. You can also get other interdental brushes that are smaller than Proxabrushes, but which work in the same way. These ones from TePe do a great job.

How can I make sure I’m taking proper care of my teeth with braces?

Developing an effective hygiene routine is the best way to take care of your teeth while wearing braces, but attending regular orthodontic appointments every four to eight weeks is also crucial. During these appointments, your orthodontist will review your teeth and make any changes to the braces. Failure to attend these appointments could impact the results of the treatment.

Likewise, it’s important to visit your dentist, to monitor the overall health of your teeth. At these appointments, your dentist will check for any cavities that need attending to and perform any deeper cleaning, if required. Having your teeth regularly cleaned by a dentist or hygienist could help prevent plaque buildup and again have a positive impact on results.

There are also some smaller actions you can take to ensure your teeth stay as clean as possible. Using disclosing tablets can pinpoint specific areas of plaque build-up on teeth, enabling you to target areas that need a little more care.

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How to brush your teeth with braces: step by step

1. Before brushing, ensure any elastics or removable parts of your braces have been taken out so that they don’t get in the way.

2. Start by swirling water around your mouth. This will help loosen any food particles or debris that has collected throughout the day or night, and make it easier to brush away.

3. Mouthwash is an essential step. Opinions remain mixed over whether you should use it before or after brushing, so the choice is yours. Some mouthwashes may specify on the label when to use based on its ingredients, however.

4. Next, use a high-quality floss to clean in between your teeth. This is an important step before brushing, since it means your toothbrush can brush away any debris that remains in the mouth after flossing. Flossing is an excellent way to clean the spaces your toothbrush can’t reach, particularly when you have braces. As an alternative to traditional flossing, you can also use a water flosser.

5. It’s now time to brush. Using your toothbrush and a good-quality fluoride toothpaste, brush with a circular motion across all the surfaces of your teeth, including your chewing surfaces. With braces, it’s best to use a 45-degree angle, allowing you to reach the areas around the braces. You should brush for about two minutes altogether.

6. Now switch to a Proxabrush or interdental brush, using it to clean in-between each brace and brush the tooth surface behind it. Make sure you brush every tooth, using the Proxabrush or interdental brush with intention to get all the spaces that can’t be reached by your toothbrush.

7. Lastly, use your toothbrush to brush your tongue, which removes any remaining bacteria in the mouth. You could also consider using a tongue scraper for this part.

8. Once you’ve finished, spit out the toothpaste – but don’t rinse. This will allow the fluoride in the toothpaste to continue cleaning your teeth after you’ve brushed them.