How To Brush Your Teeth With Braces
Even for those without braces, brushing your teeth at least twice a day for two minutes is essential for good oral health. Proper, consistent brushing and flossing habits become even more crucial when it comes to caring for braces.
If you have braces you should attempt to brush your teeth more frequently, ideally after each meal and snack.
To protect your investment, follow these simple steps:
- Choose a toothbrush with a head that is small enough to access your entire mouth, including the back of your teeth and around brackets
- If using a manual or sonic style toothbrush, hold the toothbrush at a 45 degree angle to your gumline
- Apply gentle pressure to avoid brushing too hard
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Brush each quadrant of your mouth equally
- Focus on brushing along the gumline, then below and above each bracket
- It may help to angle your toothbrush downward to brush above the brackets, and upward to brush below the brackets
- Be sure to also brush the inside and chewing surfaces of your teeth, not just the outside surfaces with brackets
- Always brush your tongue to maintain fresh breath
Additional Home Care for Braces
In addition to brushing your teeth, make sure to floss your teeth at least once a day. For more information on this topic read our article Cleaning Dental Braces.
If you have braces and use a manual toothbrush, consider upgrading to an electric toothbrush. The Waterpik™ Complete Care water flosser with separate Sonic Toothbrush offers everything you need to care for your braces in one convenient device.
