Getting braces is a massive flex. Seriously, you’re investing in your future smile, and that’s a power move. But let’s be real—suddenly, brushing feels like navigating an obstacle course, and the idea of flossing? Forget about it. It’s easy to slip up, but hear us out: poor oral hygiene with braces isn’t just about bad breath; it can actually stall your orthodontic journey and leave you with spots on your enamel once the brackets come off. So, as your go-to experts in cosmetic dentistry, we’ve broken down exactly how to maintain oral hygiene with braces like a seasoned pro.
Tip #1: Master the Art of the Two-Minute Scrub
Your normal two-minute tooth brushing routine just got an upgrade. Because brackets and wires create so many tiny hiding spots for food and plaque, you can’t just brush over your braces; you have to brush around them.
The Brushing Trick: The 45-Degree Angle
Forget the standard straight-on attack. You need to use a soft-bristled toothbrush and master the two-part, 45-degree angle technique:
- Brush Above the Brackets (The Down-Angle): Tilt your toothbrush head 45 degrees down towards the gum line and gently brush the wire and the top of the brackets. Use small, circular motions.
- Brush Below the Brackets (The Up-Angle): Tilt your toothbrush head 45 degrees up towards the chewing surface and gently brush the bottom of the brackets and the wire.
- Finish the Surfaces: Don’t forget the inner surface and the chewing surface of all your teeth!
Pro Tip: If you want to make life easier, invest in a quality electric toothbrush with an orthodontic head. Many have built-in timers and pressure sensors to ensure you hit all those hard-to-reach spots without damaging your hardware.
Tip #2: Start Using Floss Threaders
We know what you’re thinking: “Flossing with braces is physically impossible.” But listen, neglecting the space between your teeth is how plaque hardens into tartar, and that stuff needs a dentist to scrape off.
You can’t just slide the floss down because of the wire—you need floss threaders. These look like small, reusable plastic loops (think of them as little needles, but gentle!) that help you guide the floss under the archwire.
The Flossing Routine
- Thread It: Thread about 15 inches of dental floss through the loop of the threader.
- Guide It: Carefully slide the threader under the archwire, into the space between two teeth.
- Floss It: Remove the threader, wrap the floss around your fingers, and gently slide the floss up and down the side of each tooth, ensuring you hug the curve of the tooth and go slightly beneath the gum line.
- Repeat: You need to do this between every single tooth, every single night.
Pro Tip: If the threaders feel too fiddly, ask your orthodontist about ortho floss (which has a stiff end you can thread) or, better yet, a water flosser. Water flossers use a stream of pulsating water to blast food particles and plaque from under the wires and brackets—it’s fast, effective, and strangely satisfying.
Tip #3: Assemble Your ‘Braces Go-Bag’
Life doesn’t stop because you have a bracket party in your mouth. Whether you’re at school, work, or out with friends, food debris needs to come out immediately after you eat. That’s why maintaining hygiene routines when you have braces outside the house is vital. This means you need a dedicated ‘Braces Go-Bag’ stashed in your backpack or car.
What to Pack
- A Travel Toothbrush: A collapsible or small toothbrush is perfect for a quick post-meal clean. You don’t always need toothpaste, but you absolutely need the brush to physically dislodge the food.
- Water Bottle: Your best defence against plaque is hydration. Swishing water vigorously around your mouth after eating is the quickest way to remove loose particles before they settle in.
- Small Mirror: Use the front camera on your phone or a small compact mirror to do a quick visual check after brushing. No one wants spinach caught in their wires!
Tip #4: Know Your Braces’ Enemies
Certain foods are straight-up no-nos when you have braces. These aren’t just hygiene hazards; they are structural threats that can break your brackets and bend your wires, which leads to emergency ortho appointments and delays your treatment.
The Top Three No-No Food Items
- Sticky/Chewy Candies: Think caramels, taffy, licorice, and chewy chocolate bars. These can rip a bracket right off or get hopelessly stuck under the wires, creating a sugary feast for bacteria.
- Hard Food Items: These include ice, popcorn kernels, hard nuts (almonds, cashews), and hard biscuits. Biting down on these can snap your archwire or cause a bracket to ping off.
- Acidic/Sugary Drinks: These cover soft drinks, sports drinks, and frequent fruit juices. Sipping these all day bathes your teeth in acid and sugar. If the plaque isn’t perfectly removed from around the bracket, the acid will etch the enamel and leave permanent white squares (decalcification) when the braces come off. Stick to water!
Tip #5: When in Doubt, Rinse and Re-Check
Sometimes, you need a quick reset for your oral health. While regular brushing and flossing are the foundations, adding a non-alcoholic, fluoride-based mouthwash to your routine provides an extra layer of protection, especially when you are trying to maintain oral hygiene with braces.
The Extra Credit
- Therapeutic Mouthwash: Ask your dental professional for a recommended anti-bacterial or fluoride rinse. Swishing for 60 seconds gets those active ingredients into the areas your brush and floss might have missed.
- Visual Check: After every cleaning session (especially before bed), stand in front of the mirror. Check the bracket-tooth border. If you see any white, fuzzy, or chunky debris stuck on or around your hardware, go back and brush that area again!
BONUS TIP: Consider Teeth Whitening After Braces
You’ve done the time: the tricky flossing, the two-minute drills, and the avoidance of delicious, crunchy foods. You get your braces off, and your smile is finally straight!
But wait—sometimes, even with perfect hygiene, the brackets can leave a slight colour difference because of decalcification, or you might just realise that your newly straightened teeth aren’t as bright as you’d hoped.
That’s where SmileBar comes in. Once your orthodontic journey is complete, you deserve the finishing touch: a blindingly white, professional glow.
We specialise in in-chair, professional teeth whitening. It’s fast and an effective way to whiten teeth after braces. It provides dramatic results that over-the-counter kits simply can’t match. After all that effort you put into your dental hygiene with braces, let us deliver the final result—a straight, healthy, and brilliantly white smile.
Ready for your post-braces appointment? Book your session with us today!
