How to Brush Teeth with Braces: For Clean and Healthy Smile
Getting braces is a huge step towards a straighter, healthier smile. It’s exciting to think about the beautiful result, but let’s be honest, those metal (or ceramic) mates on your teeth change a few things—especially when it comes to cleaning your mouth.
If you’ve just had your braces put on, or you’ve been wearing them for a while and are still struggling to keep them sparkling, you’re in the right spot. Brushing your teeth with braces isn’t the same as brushing without them. It takes a little more time, a little more patience, and a few different techniques. But don’t stress! It’s completely manageable once you know the right steps.
This guide walkthrough for mastering your oral hygiene routine. We’ll cover the best tools to use, the exact movements you need to clean around every bracket and wire, and simple tips to make sure you finish your orthodontic journey with the healthiest smile possible. Forget the complicated lingo; we’re keeping it simple, mate. By the time you finish reading, you’ll be a pro at knowing how to brush teeth braces effectively, preventing problems like plaque build-up, staining, and gum issues. A clean mouth is essential for a great result, and we’re here to show you exactly how to get it. Let’s dive in and learn the essential techniques for a truly clean and healthy smile.
Why Brushing Is More Important with Braces
You might be wondering why all the fuss. Your teeth are still teeth, right? Well, when you have braces, your mouth becomes a bit of an obstacle course, and those brackets and wires are brilliant at catching tiny bits of food and plaque.
Think of your braces as having lots of little ledges and corners. When you eat a snag at the barbecue or enjoy a slice of Aussie meat pie, food particles get trapped underneath the wires and around the brackets. If these bits of food and bacteria aren’t meticulously cleaned away, they turn into plaque. Plaque is a sticky, invisible film that’s home to nasty bacteria.
With braces, plaque can cause a few major issues:
Staining (The White Spot Problem): If plaque sits on your tooth for too long, it leaches minerals out of the enamel. When the braces come off, you might have permanent, chalky white spots (called decalcification) right where the brackets were. It’s a tragedy, because you’ll have straight teeth with stained patches around them! Proper braces oral hygiene is the only way to prevent this.
Tooth Decay (Cavities): The bacteria in plaque produce acid, which eats away at your tooth enamel, leading to cavities. Braces make it harder for saliva to naturally wash away this acid, so the risk is higher.
Gum Problems: Plaque build-up along the gum line can cause gingivitis, making your gums red, swollen, and prone to bleeding. This is uncomfortable and can delay your treatment.
In short, your braces are doing the hard work of straightening your smile, but you have the crucial job of keeping everything clean while they work. Knowing how to brush teeth braces is non-negotiable for a successful, healthy outcome. You need to spend more time and use better techniques because the stakes are higher.
Recommended Tools for Brushing with Braces
Before you start scrubbing, you need the right gear. Using a standard toothbrush just won’t cut it when you’re tackling all those wires and brackets. Investing in the right tools makes the job quicker, easier, and much more effective for superior orthodontic hygiene.
Here are the essential bits of kit you’ll need:
1. The Right Toothbrush
Orthodontic Toothbrush: Look for a toothbrush specifically designed for braces. These often have a V-shaped trim, meaning the bristles in the middle are shorter than the ones on the edges. The shorter bristles can fit over the bracket, while the longer ones clean the tooth surface above and below the wire.
Soft Bristles Only: Always use a toothbrush with soft bristles. Hard bristles can damage the orthodontic glue holding your brackets on, and they can irritate your gums. Gentle is the name of the game.
Electric Toothbrush (Highly Recommended): Many orthodontists recommend a good quality electric toothbrush. They offer more powerful, consistent cleaning motions. Look for one with a small, round head that can get into tight spaces. Some models even have a specific “ortho” brush head. If you use one, you still need to follow the proper technique, but the extra cleaning power helps immensely.
2. The Right Toothpaste
Fluoride Toothpaste: This is a must-have. Fluoride helps strengthen your tooth enamel and fights those nasty white spots and cavities. Don’t skip it!
3. Specialised Cleaning Tools (Essential Extras)
Interproximal Brush (or Proxabrush): This small brush looks like a tiny pipe cleaner or a miniature Christmas tree. It is vital for cleaning underneath the orthodontic wire and between the brackets, where a regular brush can’t reach. If you only buy one extra tool, make it this one!
Dental Floss Threaders or Orthodontic Floss: Standard flossing is impossible with a wire across your teeth. These tools help you thread the floss under the wire. We’ll talk more about flossing later, but you need a tool to get the job done.
Mouthwash (Optional but helpful): A fluoride mouthwash can be a great final step to rinse away any loosened food debris and give you an extra boost of fluoride protection.
Gathering these tools is the first step in mastering cleaning teeth with braces. The better the tools, the better your clean!
Proper Technique for Brushing Around Brackets and Wires
This is the most critical section. Having the right tools is only half the battle; knowing the exact movements is what ensures you get a truly spotless smile. Brushing with braces is all about cleaning in three distinct zones for every single tooth.
Let’s break down the perfect technique for how to brush teeth braces like a professional.
Step 1: Divide and Conquer – The Three Zones
You need to clean each tooth in three areas:
Above the Brackets: The gum line and the top part of the bracket.
Below the Brackets: The bottom part of the bracket and the tooth surface towards the chewing edge.
The Bracket and Wire Itself: The actual orthodontic hardware.
Step 2: The Top and Bottom Surfaces (The ‘Outside’)
Start with the outer surfaces of your upper teeth (the ones facing your cheek):
Angle Down (Top Teeth): Position your toothbrush bristles at a 45-degree angle pointing downwards towards the chewing surface. Use short, gentle, circular, or vibrating motions to clean the area above the brackets and right up to the gum line. Ensure the bristles get under the archwire if possible. Do this for at least 10 seconds per tooth/section.
Angle Up (Top Teeth): Now, reposition the brush so the bristles are at a 45-degree angle pointing upwards towards the gum line. Use the same short, gentle motions to clean the area below the brackets, sweeping from the gum towards the chewing surface. This gets underneath the bracket and the main wire.
Repeat this entire process (Angle Down, then Angle Up) for every tooth on your top arch.
Next, move to your lower teeth (the ones facing your cheek):
Angle Up (Bottom Teeth): Start by positioning your brush bristles at a 45-degree angle pointing upwards towards the chewing surface. Clean below the brackets, ensuring you sweep food debris up and away from the gum.
Angle Down (Bottom Teeth): Reposition the brush so the bristles are at a 45-degree angle pointing downwards towards the gum line. Clean above the brackets and right up to the gum line.
It’s about making sure the bristles clean both the space between the wire and the tooth, and the surface of the tooth above and below the bracket.
Step 3: Cleaning the Chewing and Inside Surfaces
Don’t forget the easy spots!
Chewing Surfaces: Brush the chewing surfaces of your back teeth using a standard back-and-forth scrubbing motion.
Inside Surfaces (Tongue and Palate Side): Use a normal technique to brush the inside surface of all your teeth (the side facing your tongue or the roof of your mouth). Since there are no brackets here, you can be a bit firmer, but still gentle on the gums.
Step 4: The Interproximal Clean (Getting under the Wire)
This is where your special interproximal brush comes in.
Under the Wire: Gently push the small, pointed head of the interproximal brush underneath the archwire, between two brackets.
Scrubbing Action: Use a gentle back-and-forth motion to clean the tooth surface and the wire itself. You’ll be amazed at the gunk that comes out!
Every Gap: Do this for every single space between the brackets on both your top and bottom teeth. It takes time, but it’s essential for thorough cleaning teeth with braces.
Mastering this technique takes your brushing from standard to truly comprehensive. Remember, take your time, be thorough, and follow the How to Brush Teeth Braces instructions step-by-step every time.
How Often You Should Brush with Braces
When you had no braces, brushing twice a day was the gold standard. With braces, you need to step up your game, mate.
The simple answer is: You should brush your teeth every time you eat.
That means if you have three main meals and two snacks, you should aim to brush five times a day.
Morning: Straight after breakfast.
Mid-morning: After a snack (if you have one).
Lunch: Immediately after lunch.
Afternoon: After your afternoon snack.
Evening: Before bed.
Why the increase? Because every time you eat, food gets trapped. Leaving food debris and plaque sitting on your teeth and around your brackets for hours increases the risk of those white spots and decay dramatically.
If brushing after every single snack simply isn’t possible (say, you’re at school or work), then a thorough rinse with water is the absolute minimum. Swish vigorously to dislodge any large bits of food. However, you must commit to a superthorough clean in the morning and, most importantly, right before bed.
The Before-Bed Clean is Non-Negotiable: This is the most important clean of the day. As you sleep, saliva flow (your mouth’s natural cleaner) decreases, meaning bacteria have a field day. Dedicate 5-10 minutes to your full oral hygiene routine—brushing, interproximal cleaning, and flossing—before you hit the hay. If you follow this routine, your braces oral hygiene will be top-notch.
Using Additional Cleaning Aids for Better Oral Hygiene
Brushing is the foundation, but to achieve a truly pristine result and a clean that will make your orthodontist cheer, you need to introduce extra cleaning aids. These tools focus on getting into the impossible-to-reach spots.
1. Flossing (The Great Challenge)
Flossing is crucial for cleaning between the actual teeth, where the toothbrush bristles and interproximal brush cannot reach. With a wire across the front, you can’t just slide floss down. This is where special tools come in:
Dental Floss Threaders: This is a small, flexible loop (like a plastic needle). You thread your normal dental floss through the eye of the threader. You then push the stiff end of the threader under the archwire, between two teeth. Once the threader is through, you pull the floss through and remove the threader, leaving the floss between the two teeth. Now you can floss normally, gently sliding the floss up and down the sides of both teeth. Repeat for every gap. It’s fiddly at first, but gets faster with practice.
Orthodontic Floss: Some brands make floss with a stiff end (like a threader) already attached to the regular floss. This removes the need for a separate threader tool, making the process a little faster.
Water Flosser (Highly Recommended): If you can afford it, a water flosser (or oral irrigator) is a game-changer for people with braces. It uses a pressurised stream of water to blast away plaque and food debris from under the wires and between the teeth. It doesn’t completely replace string flossing for inter-tooth contact, but it is vastly superior to not flossing at all and is much faster than using threaders.
How often to floss? Aim to floss with a threader or use your water flosser at least once a day, ideally before bed. This is essential for preventing gum disease and decay between your teeth.
2. Toothpicks and Orthodontic Wax
Orthodontic Wax: This isn’t a cleaning tool, but it’s important for comfort and injury prevention, which keeps your routine consistent. If a wire pokes your cheek or a bracket irritates your lip, dry the area and put a small pea-sized ball of wax over the sharp spot. This prevents pain and allows you to keep brushing without the distraction of a sore mouth.
Mouthwash: As mentioned, a fluoride mouthwash (non-alcohol based is often preferred) used once a day can provide a welcome rinse and deliver an extra hit of cavity-fighting fluoride to every surface in your mouth. Use it after brushing and before bed for maximum effect.
A complete orthodontic hygiene routine must include these aids. Brushing removes the surface plaque, and flossing/water flossing gets into the truly hidden spots.
Tips for Keeping Braces Free of Food and Plaque
Even with the best tools and techniques, maintaining a clean mouth with braces requires vigilance and a few clever habits. Here are some extra tips from the pros:
Be a Mirror Detective: You cannot clean what you can’t see. Always brush in front of a well-lit mirror. This allows you to check around every bracket and wire and see where the food is hiding. If you spot a stubborn bit of spinach or a sesame seed, you can target it immediately.
The Brushing Timer: Don’t rush the job. While a non-braces clean takes two minutes, a full braces clean can take anywhere from three to five minutes of actual brushing, plus the time for interproximal cleaning and flossing. Use a timer if you need to, or listen to a full song while you brush.
Orthodontic Emergency Kit: Put together a small kit that you can carry in your backpack or handbag. Include a travel toothbrush, a small tube of toothpaste, and an interproximal brush. This allows you to perform a quick clean after lunch or a snack when you’re out and about. It’s the easiest way to stick to the “brush after every meal” rule.
Know Your ‘No-Go’ Foods: While you are learning how to brush teeth braces, make life easier by avoiding the biggest culprits that break brackets or get hopelessly stuck:
Hard Foods: Ice, hard nuts, hard biscuits (like Anzac biscuits), and crusty bread can snap wires or knock off brackets.
Sticky Foods: Chewing gum, caramels, toffee, and hard lollies are impossible to clean out and can pull wires out of their slots.
Chewy Foods: Beef jerky or bagels can bend wires.
Biting into Apples/Carrots: Cut these up into small, bite-sized pieces instead of biting directly into them.
Change Your Brush Often: Your toothbrush (and electric toothbrush head) will wear out much faster than normal because it’s rubbing against metal and ceramic. Change it every 6-8 weeks, or as soon as the bristles start looking splayed. A worn-out brush won’t clean properly.
By following these tips, you’ll minimise the amount of hard-to-clean gunk that builds up, making your dedicated brushing time more effective and your overall cleaning teeth with braces experience less frustrating.
Conclusion
Congratulations! You are now armed with all the essential knowledge to keep your teeth and braces sparkling clean throughout your treatment. We’ve covered everything from the why (preventing those nasty white spots and decay) to the how (the 45-degree angle technique) and the what (interproximal brushes and water flossers).
Remember, the goal of your orthodontic treatment is to achieve a beautiful, straight smile that is also fundamentally healthy. The braces are doing the heavy lifting by aligning your teeth, but your commitment to excellent orthodontic hygiene is what guarantees the final result is perfect—straight teeth, healthy gums, and no white spots.
It takes effort and consistency, but every extra minute you spend cleaning now is an investment that will pay off the moment your orthodontist finally removes your braces, revealing the confident, dazzling smile you’ve been working towards. Keep up the great work!
Call to Action
If you live in Sydney and are starting your braces journey, or if you’re concerned about any aspect of your oral health while undergoing treatment, it’s essential to have a trusted team by your side. If you need personalised advice on the best tools or techniques for your specific braces, or if it’s time for a check-up, don’t hesitate.
Contact us today to book an appointment with a leading dentist Redfern locals trust for expert care and maintenance throughout their orthodontic journey!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Will Brushing Too Hard Damage My Brackets?
A: Yes. Brushing aggressively, especially with a hard-bristled brush, can damage the delicate cement that holds your brackets to your teeth, causing them to break off. Always use a soft-bristled brush and employ a gentle, circular, or vibrating motion. It’s the time and technique that cleans the teeth, not the force.
2. How Long Should My Brushing Routine Take?
A: At a minimum, your main brushing routine (morning and night) should take 3-5 minutes of active brushing. This is followed by 1-2 minutes of interproximal cleaning and 3-5 minutes for flossing (if using threaders). Expect to spend 5-10 minutes on your full, comprehensive clean before bed.
3. What if I can’t brush after lunch at school or work?
A: If a full brush is impossible, the minimum you must do is rinse your mouth vigorously with water several times to dislodge any large food particles. You can also chew sugar-free gum (if approved by your orthodontist) for a few minutes. Make sure to do a very thorough clean as soon as you get home.
4. Can I use an electric toothbrush with braces?
A: Absolutely, and many orthodontists highly recommend them! Electric toothbrushes are excellent for cleaning teeth with braces because they provide a consistent, powerful motion that is great at removing plaque around the brackets. Look for one with a small, round head and an ‘ortho’ or sensitive setting. You still need to use the 45-degree angle technique.
5. Why do my gums bleed when I brush?
A: Bleeding gums are usually a sign of gingivitis, which means there is plaque and bacteria irritating your gum line. Many people assume they should stop brushing the bleeding area, but the opposite is true! You need to brush that area more gently, but more thoroughly, for a longer period. As the plaque is removed, the inflammation will calm down, and the bleeding will stop. If bleeding persists, mention it to your orthodontist or dentist.
6. When should I use the interproximal brush?
A: Use the interproximal brush after you have used your main toothbrush. The regular brush tackles the large surfaces, and the interproximal brush is for the fiddly spots—specifically underneath the archwire and in the gaps between the brackets. Use it for every space, ideally with every major brush, or at least once a day during your comprehensive evening clean.
Source: How to Brush Teeth with Braces: For Clean and Healthy Smile
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