How to Properly Brush & Floss with Traditional Braces

You've just gotten your braces, and now your orthodontist has given you a list of how to maintain them properly. One of those items on the list is how to properly brush your teeth with traditional braces.

Traditional braces are a great way to straighten teeth, but they require extra care when brushing and flossing. In this post, we'll go over how to properly brush and floss with braces so that you can keep your teeth healthy and looking great!

How To Properly Brush Your Teeth With Braces

Use a soft toothbrush and brush in small circles around each tooth. You can use either your index finger or middle finger as the guide to how small you should make the circles.

Brushing with small circles allows you to clean between braces and below brackets more thoroughly than if you were brushing back and forth across braces.

Brush the outside of each tooth, the inside, and finally, the chewing surfaces. Make sure to pay attention to how your teeth feel when brushing them. If they feel rough or bumpy in places, then that means that you still have plaque on your teeth and should go back over it with your toothbrush.

How To Floss With Braces

Flossing with traditional braces is much easier than you might think. All you need to do is keep the floss taut as you run it through your teeth.

When flossing between braces, the top of the wire is what you should aim for with your floss. If you try to get the floss below the top of the wire, then it will just pull out any food that might be caught up in between your braces.

As you floss below the brackets, you should try to get the floss under each arm of your bracket one at a time. Once the floss is in place, use short back and forth motions to clean around each bracket.

How Often Should You See A Dentist While Wearing Braces?

Keeping up with your orthodontic maintenance is critical in getting the most out of your braces, which is why you should make regular visits to your orthodontist.

You should have dental visits (checkups and cleanings) every four to six weeks on average. During your checkups, your orthodontist may take an X-ray of your teeth to ensure that everything is going as planned with your new smile. During cleanings, you'll get a professional cleaning of your teeth to help you fight off any plaque that might be developing on your teeth.

Brushing your teeth with braces may seem challenging, but these tips and visits to an Orlando orthodontist can help keep your smile beautiful. Contact Baptiste Orthodontics to schedule an appointment today.