Having braces placed on your teeth is the first step towards strengthening out all of those small imperfections. However, having a dental appliance attached to your teeth is going to cause problems with keeping your mouth clean. Here are some tips for ensuring you have great oral health while wearing braces.
Brush At A 45 Degree Angle
It is important that you learn to brush the right way when you have braces placed on your teeth. You should be moving the brush at a 45-degree angle so that the tip of the brush goes against your gum line to help clean out the bacteria that can be trapped underneath. This will also help clean around the bottom edges of the brackets on your teeth. Reverse the angle and approach from the gums to clean along the top part of the bracket.
Use Special Tools To Floss
You are not going to get traditional dental floss between your teeth with braces. That is why you need a floss threader to get the job done. This allows you to fish the end of the floss through your brackets so that you can get close to the gum line. This is crucial if you want to keep your teeth and gums clean in a place you have difficulty reaching otherwise. The alternative to using a floss threader is an interdental brush. It has a bunch of bristles sticking out of a wire, which is easy to work between your teeth and brackets.
A more expensive option will be to invest in a water flosser. These devices shoot streams of water out from a pick which can be focused on the gap between your teeth. They are incredibly effective at getting the job done, and very fast to use when compared to the process of threading floss between your teeth.
Rinse With Mouthwash
Mouthwash is a great way to catch all of the bacteria that you may have missed after brushing and flossing. It also helps keep your gums healthy by reducing the chances of having inflamed gums. Incorporating mouthwash in your morning and evening oral health routines to keep your mouth clean.
Following these tips will ensure that you are doing everything you can to keep your mouth clean. For more ideas on what you can be doing at home, speak to your dentist about maintaining your oral health while wearing braces. They likely have some advice that will help you out.
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