Brushing and Flossing

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 at least two minutes after every meal with a soft-bristled, small-headed toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. You really need to brush at least FOUR times a day to prevent problems.  If you are a student and eat lunch at school PLEASE for your own sake brush after lunch ....you don't have to use toothpaste at lunch.   We have noticed that those students who do not brush at lunch end up with ugly permanent marks on their teeth. 

 Brush the outside and inside surfaces of your teeth using small, gentle, circular back and forth 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 is not necessary but try to do it at least once before you go to bed.    Flossing is hard with braces and Dr. Castella suggests that using a water pic is almost as effective and alot easier....so get a water pic (Costco has the best deal on them).  

If you want to try 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!