Tooth Brushing and Dental Care When Wearing Braces

You can develop misaligned and crooked teeth at any age and the best way to avoid discomfort is to get braces. They are attached to your teeth with room for adjustments such that your teeth can shift and align properly on the arch.

The braces are connected to each other with arch-wires and these are the main reason why dental hygiene is important when wearing braces. Food particles tend to get stuck under the wire and can be difficult to clean out without proper tooth brushing and dental care.

Maintaining hygiene with braces

It is important to maintain oral hygiene, especially when wearing braces. This is because contaminants can get stuck under the arch-wires that connect braces across the teeth arch. If these particles are left unattended, it results in plaque and tartar deposits and can displace the teeth movement under the braces.

Cleanliness and proper oral care is even more important when it comes to children’s teeth. Pediatric treatments are always sensitive and are usually moderated to ensure problems don’t occur on account of the treatment itself. This makes proper oral hygiene even more important when the braces are on and parents are advised to supervise in this matter.

Steps to improve dental hygiene


There are several progressive steps that can help you improve your overall dental hygiene routine. This is especially important when you are under treatment with braces. While each improvement differs from person to person and changes according to their habits and daily routine, the following list chronicles a set of generalized steps you can adopt to work on maintaining your oral hygiene.

• The right toothbrush is necessary so that it does not affect the braces too much or the treatment can go awry.


• Choose soft bristles for your toothbrush as they will affect your sensitive teeth less and also avoid disorienting the braces too much.


• Food particles that get stuck under the arch-wires can be difficult to clean out. Rounded, nylon bristles are better for this purpose as they won’t aggravate your sensitive gums or decay the enamel too much.


• It is recommended to brush at an angle (tentatively 45 degrees) to properly reach all the surfaces and even under the wires. Always brush gently as being aggressive can dislodge the braces.


• For children, a brush with a wide handle offers more stability. It reduces the chances of the bristles slipping and damaging the braces or the archwires. As parents, you should supervise in this matter and ensure that your child develops good dental care habits to avoid problems in the future.


• Flossing with soft threads will make it easier to do it with braces on. You can also reduce the chances of cavities with fluoride mouth rinses as advised by your dentist.

Dental care in pediatric dentistry

Children’s teeth are sensitive and require a gentle touch when cleaning. Parents are advised to ensure that dental hygiene is effectively maintained and that your child develops sound dental care habits about brushing, flossing, and basic cleanliness using prescribed products to avoid complications.

It is recommended to consult with your dental care professional at least twice a year to ensure that the braces treatment is working as expected.