These days, everywhere you look you find someone wearing braces, even adults! 10 years ago, most adults wouldn’t be caught dead with braces. But now, it seems like adults are requesting braces as much as children, even more so. This change comes with social media standards, and the constant desire for everyone to look their best, and your best isn’t complete without a beautiful smile.

That being said, there has been some problems with braces that have been around for ages, and will probably stay there forever. The main issue is of course their appearance, which has been treated with the emergence of new, more esthetic options such as clear braces, lingual braces and Invisalign. The problem of oral hygiene – however – is far from solved. Follow our guide to Spring Cleaning With Braces Good Cleaning Practices all around.

Why is cleaning teeth difficult with braces?

The nature of braces makes it difficult – if not impossible – for the brush and floss to reach the tooth surface. The brackets design traps food under its wings. The wire that crosses all the teeth cannot pass the string floss. Even mouthwash does little to clear away the debris and plaque around the brackets. The entire system is designed to trap food debris, so something has to be done about it. You would be surprised how many times we found a lot of decay, gum disease and other diseases once the braces were removed.

Spring cleaning with braces good cleaning practices explained

1. Your regular tooth brush is not enough. We recommend using an electric tooth brush. It takes all the effort out of your hands, and can reach even the most difficult to clean areas under and around the brackets.
2. Using a fluoridated toothpaste is highly recommended. Fluoride not only kills bacteria, but it also forms protective layers on the surface of the tooth, further protecting it from decay and gum disease.
3. Mouthwash is not an option, but also ineffective alone. In most cases, mouthwash is an aide to brushing and flossing. With braces, however, it can clean the secluded areas under the brackets as well as between the teeth. It is no longer and aide, but a necessity.
4. Flossing is also of the utmost importance. String floss is not going to work, since it is impossible to pass it through the teeth with the wire placed. We recommend using other methods of flossing. These include floss threaders, inter dental brushes, and of course the ever popular, incredibly effective and highly recommended water flosser.
5. Some foods are not advisable. Hard foods such as nuts and chips can break away the brackets, making the treatment time longer – and we know you don’t want that-. Sticky foods such as caramel, toffee and gum are also not advisable. They can stick to the bracket and break its bond to the tooth. They also get stuck around the bracket and between the teeth, making them impossible to clean.

Oral hygiene with braces is no breeze. But take it from us, it is far better to endure the hassle of cleaning with braces than that of fixing your teeth when they are removed.