The metal brackets, wires and other orthodontic hardware of your new braces can sometimes be difficult to clean during your daily oral hygiene routine. Should residual food particles and plaque cause tooth decay complications, it might increase the number of required adjustments at Schouten Orthodontics.
To help you better maintain healthy teeth and gums throughout the alignment process, Dr. John R. Schouten often suggests using some of the following tools.
If you’re having trouble brushing in and around braces hardware, you might want to try using an interdental brush. They have small-angled heads that help you remove food particles from hard-to-reach places.
There are also dental water jet devices, like Waterpik®, that can help loosen food particles from hard-to-reach places as well as help you clean along the gumline. Just don’t confuse this as an effective alternative to flossing. While they might affect some of the same areas, flossing is still the only way to truly remove food particles and plaque buildup from between teeth and along the gumline. Instead, these oral irrigators should be thought of as advanced brushing aids.
When flossing, it’s important to work the floss along the surfaces between the teeth as well as into the gumline. If you’re having difficulty cleaning around the braces or flossing the spaces between your teeth, you might want to try using interdental brushes or a floss threader with waxed dental floss. Be sure to also floss behind each of your last molars.
If you have questions or concerns about how to maintain good oral hygiene with braces in Price, Utah, you can always call 435.637.0820 to consult with a member of staff at Schouten Orthodontics.
