Adhere to the 45-Degree Rule
When brushing your braces, remember to follow the 45-degree rule. Brush the bottom teeth slightly upwards to get under the groove of the bracket, and the top teeth slightly downwards to go under the groove of the bracket as well. Food will become caught on the sides of your braces and between your cheek and teeth most of the time. Develop the practice of cleaning your teeth after meals with a toothpick or floss. This should make brushing less difficult.
Treat the Brackets Like Part of the Tooth
Do not let plaque accumulate in the areas next to the brackets, as this may result in discolouration of the tooth or cavities in the spaces between teeth.
Because of the way you installed your brackets and cables, there will be more space for bacteria to colonize and grow. Include daily brushing after each meal in your eating schedule to avoid this.
Flossing is still possible when wearing braces. However, you must use dental floss with firm points or flossing lassos to reach under the wire. You may also require a toothbrush with stiffer bristles in order to avoid the bristles becoming trapped in or damaged by your brackets.
Make Healthy Choices
It all starts with making better food choices in order to avoid plaque buildup in the mouth. When you wear braces, you don't have to substantially alter your diet, but we recommend avoiding items that make it more difficult to keep your teeth clean. Corn kernels, licorice, gummy candy, jerky, and taffy, to name a few things, will become trapped in your braces more easily than other meals.
When you stay away from this small list of sticky and difficult-to-eat foodstuffs, your regular brushing routine will simply be easier. To find out which meals you should avoid, talk to your orthodontist about what you should and shouldn't eat.
Don't Rush It
It is typically advised that you brush your teeth for at least two minutes each day. If the wires and braces in your mouth are making it difficult for you to reach all of the surfaces of your teeth, you might want to try using a proxabrush. It can be used to clean under and around braces and other orthodontic appliances because of its small size and flexibility.
Start by Rinsing Your Mouth
To begin, remove any elastics, bands, or removable orthodontic parts from your mouth and store them in a secure location away from your mouth. After that, take a cup and fill it halfway with water before rinsing your mouth out with the water. Food particles and other things can be freed by swishing a small amount of water around the inside of your mouth.
