Tips About Cleaning Your Teeth with Metal Braces

You only want a beautiful dental aesthetic with straight and aligned teeth structure. That’s why you have those braces! Although, there is a big challenge to keep your teeth healthy and clean sporting those metal brackets, wires, and other pieces. 

Cleaning your teeth with metal braces can be tricky, but the effort will be worthwhile. The key to success is consistency – you must care for and clean your braces properly at least twice daily. Before brushing or flossing, carefully remove food particles from the wires and brackets with an interdental brush. Next, use a toothbrush to scrub your teeth and braces for about two minutes, paying extra attention to areas that are harder to reach. Flossing with orthodontic flossers made especially for braces should also be done routinely. Finally, gargle with a mouthwash containing fluoride for additional cleaning power.

Learning the correct way to brush your teeth with braces involves a little practice, but surely it gets better with practice. This is vital to avoid tooth decay and inflamed gums while wearing braces. If you aren’t taking the necessary measures, it can invite other dental problems when you finally remove the braces. 

Orthodontist Gallup NM suggests some tips related to cleaning teeth with braces. Let’s get started!

Tips to help you with Proper Teeth Cleaning

  • Make it a Routine

When you wear the braces, there are chances to miss the buildup on your teeth. To reduce the likelihood of food particles and plaque lingering longer on your teeth follow brushing after every means. 

This is a great way to prevent plaque and bad odors and maintain the pearly whites of your teeth effectively. 

  • Gather Proper Tools

It’s always easy to complete any task when you have things at your disposal. Dentist Gallup New Mexico advises their patients have access to the proper dental cleaning toolkit. This includes:

  • Non-abrasive manual or electrical toothbrushes
  • Medicated toothpaste
  • Floss equipment
  • Proxabrushes
  • Mouthwashes
  • Mirror 
  • Cup

This will make the cleaning task of the teeth having the braces much easier. 

  • Start with a Swish

After having access to the proper cleaning toolkit, take the cup, fill it with water and rinse your mouth. It’s better to swiss the interior of the mouth properly to loosen the accumulation of food particles and other debris to make it easier to remove everything. 

If there are any removable orthodontics pieces or elastic bands remove them and store them in a safe place. 

  • Know the Angle

Now take a handful quantity of the medicated toothpaste on your non-abrasive toothbrush and start holding the brush at a 45-degree angle and gently brush along the gumline. Move the toothbrush carefully to an angle so that you can brush the top of your brackets. 

Reposition it accordingly to brush under the brackets and wires. Don’t forget to get to the interior surfaces using a proxabrush for a thorough cleaning experience. There is no need to rush, you can take some time to clean it properly. 

  • Floss

It can be a bit difficult to clean the teeth having brackets and wires but flossing shouldn’t be skipped as it’s an important part of dental hygiene. Try to be gentle when you are using a flosser around the teeth and gumline.

You can also use a water flosser to clean the accumulation between the teeth. 

  • Rinse Again

When everything is completed it’s time to rinse the mouth with an antibacterial mouthwash. This is an important step recommends the Gallup orthodontics to eliminate germ and freshen up the bad odor. 

Once you are done take a little effort to look in the mirror and evaluate the entire process. 

Don’t Skip Cleaning!

Braces are the major investment to reshape your crooked teeth. It’s crucial to clean the teeth with braces to avoid the buildup of tartar, cavities, and stains. 

To explore a better orthodontic possibility, schedule a consultation with dentist Gallup NM. Their services can help you with a properly aligned smile along with a host of other dental treatment plans.