Maintenance and Care

When you have braces, it's very important to brush and floss after every meal in order to keep your teeth and gums healthy throughout your orthodontic treatment. If you need help choosing the right toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss, please ask us and we can help you choose the right products for your teeth and your appliance.

Brushing with Braces

Brush your teeth for two minutes after every meal with a soft-bristled, small-headed toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. As an alternative, you can use a powered toothbrush to increase your brushing effectiveness. Brush the outside and inside surfaces of your teeth using small, gentle, circular motions while positioning the head of the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to the gum line. Brush your teeth’s chewing surfaces and the inside surface of your front teeth using short, gentle, back-and-forth motions. Pay close attention to the areas around your brackets or other appliances.

Flossing with Braces

Flossing after every meal will help keep your teeth and braces clean, which will also help keep your treatment time on track. To floss with braces, use a floss threader or special orthodontic floss to thread the floss behind each wire. Wrap the ends of the floss around your pointer fingers of both hands, leaving a few inches of taut floss between them. Gently slide the floss between each set of teeth using a back and forth motion. Floss the sides of each tooth beneath the gum line to remove plaque and food particles. Repeat this process until you’ve flossed all of your teeth. If you find that your floss is not removing all of the food particles between your teeth and around your braces, ask us about a water flosser!

Invisalign

Unlike your brushing and flossing techniques with Braces, your brushing routine with Invisalign should not change. Brush all surfaces of your teeth using a soft toothbrush and a fluoride toothpaste. Make sure to floss daily. Additionally,

• Tray Maintenance: If you find the need to rinse your trays, you can use a clear liquid soap. Throughout your aligner treatment, you'll be switching to fresh new trays regularly.
• Oral Hygiene: To prevent plaque buildup, decalcification, and cavities, it's crucial to brush and floss after every meal or thoroughly rinsing with mouthwash if brushing immediately isn't feasible.
• Remove your aligners when you eat
• Properly store your trays when not in use: Store your aligners in their Invisalign case when not in use. This case is designed to keep your aligners safe and protect them from damage, dust, and bacteria.
• Don’t use extremely hot water to clean your aligners: Use only lukewarm water to clean your aligners. Very hot water can warp and damage your aligners, damaging them and delaying your treatment.