If your child has just gotten braces, chances are it’s a good time to brush up on dental hygiene! Brushing teeth with braces is slightly different than normal brushing and flossing. While you will get faster with practice, please plan to spend 10 to 15 minutes each day at first. We’ve included some tips to help you do a great job taking care of your new braces!
Why Brushing and Flossing with Braces is Important
There’s no getting around it, it’s harder to clean teeth with brackets and wires. But it’s essential to pay attention to dental hygiene. When bacteria and plaque start building up, your child is at risk for gum disease, cavities, and tooth discoloration.
- Gingivitis
This early stage of gum disease is the result of gum irritation resulting from plaque. The gums become red, swollen, sore, and can bleed or start to recede. With proper brushing and flossing, patients can control gingivitis. Proper oral hygiene also reduces the risk of developing more serious gum disease.
- Tooth Decay
One of the major reasons for cavities is the erosion of enamel that results from oral bacteria. These bacteria feed on sugars from our diet and produce acids that attack the tooth’s surface. Plaque, formed by a mass of these bacteria, sticks around brackets and the gum line, putting your child at risk for cavities near his orthodontic work—which might require removing wires and brackets to treat.
- Demineralization
When acids attack teeth, they remove the minerals from our enamel. This demineralization eventually leads to cavities, but in its early stages can cause white spots to appear where the mineral structure has been weakened. Braces wearers are at special risk for demineralization, especially around brackets and near the gums, where plaque can be missed while brushing.
New Brushing and Flossing Techniques
Even if your child has always done a wonderful job of brushing and flossing, braces provide a new challenge for getting teeth their cleanest. Unfortunately, plaque buildup around the brackets and the gum line is all too common in orthodontic patients. Dr. Ralph can recommend some tools that make the cleaning process easier and more effective.
- Toothbrushes
Manual brushes are available with small, soft-bristled heads designed especially for braces wearers. If your child still has problems getting rid of plaque and food debris, an electric toothbrush might be helpful. And remember, encourage your child to be thorough but gentle for the sake of both braces and gums.
- Flossing with Braces
Flossing can be challenging for children at any time, but especially with braces. We’ll show you how floss threaders work, and how special flosses designed just for braces can fit underwires. This might also be a good time to invest in a water flosser. Parent’s can help in demonstrating how to floss even with brackets and wires blocking the way and will be a huge help to your child and your dentist!
- Products Just for Braces
Interproximal brushes are tiny cone-shaped brushes designed to fit around brackets and wires and between teeth. We can also suggest special kinds of toothpaste and rinses to help fight plaque and prevent cavities from developing. Ask us about what to shop for to make both of your lives easier.
How to Floss with Braces Using a Floss Threader
- Start with a piece of floss about 12 to 18 inches long
- Insert an end into the threader leaving a 5-inch tail
- Gently guide the loop of the threader under your wires, positioning the floss between two teeth
- Leaving the floss in place, remove the threader and begin flossing
Repeat this process to complete flossing between all your teeth. Remember to floss above your wires also. Although you will be slow at first, you will speed up as you get into a routine.
How to Floss with Braces Using a Water Flossing Device
Most water flossing devices are similar. Be sure to adjust the pressure to avoid hurting your gums. You may have more tenderness right after an adjustment. You still need to floss, but it shouldn’t cause you pain. These simple directions will give you a good start:
- Fill the device with water (some people prefer warm water, which is fine)
- Check/adjust water pressure by test-spraying into the sink
- Insert the tip, lean over the sink, and turn the machine on
It is important to direct the spray between all your teeth, front and back, both above and below your braces. To avoid having a mess to clean up, keep your mouth closed but remember to drain excess water into the sink while flossing. Make sure to include the area around your gumline.
How Parents Can Help Kids with Brushing and Flossing Braces
- Teamwork—Works!
When your child first gets braces, practice brushing and flossing together. Our Liberty Lake or Spokane, WA team will be happy to show you both the very best techniques for keeping teeth their cleanest and healthiest. Especially for young children, your help will make sure those techniques are learned and used.
- Make Time for Cleaning
Your child’s before-braces routine might have meant brushing two minutes each morning and two minutes at night. But thorough cleaning around brackets and wires might take a bit longer. (And, with braces, it’s best to brush after every meal rather than the common twice-a-day routine). Be available, at least at first, for a quick check to make sure braces and teeth are their cleanest. And you may have to help with removing and replacing bands until your child gets the hang of it.
- Be Prepared!
Whether it’s a day at school or an overnighter with friends, be sure your child has a kit filled with cleaning supplies ready to take along. A toothbrush, floss, an interproximal brush, toothpaste, a mirror—with these necessities, your child can keep on top of any cleaning emergencies.
For younger children especially, learning how to keep teeth and braces their cleanest can take some time. Be patient, be prepared, and be willing to help, and you and your child will have a new routine mastered—in no time at all!
If you still have questions, please feel free to contact our offices at (509) 892-9284. Our staff will be happy to assist you. We also post updates, tips, and general information on our Facebook and Instagram pages. Please check them out and follow us to stay up-to-date.
