If you wear braces, caring for your mouth is vital to loving your smile when they come off. Patients with braces who fail to brush and floss daily run the risk of prolonging treatment and developing unhealthy teeth. Dr. Stephen L. Chan, a holistic dentist in La Mesa, CA, helps patients with and without oral devices care for their teeth.
4 Tips for Keeping Clean With Braces
These four steps can help you maintain good oral hygiene while wearing appliances.
- Use an interdental brush. Begin cleaning your mouth with an interdental brush before using a regular toothbrush to gently remove debris underneath and around braces and wires.
- Clean your teeth after every meal, ideally four times a day. It is fine to use non-fluoride toothpaste, as fluoride can irritate gums. Brush for at least two minutes.
- Floss daily. Floss threaders can simplify cleaning of dental appliances.
- Finish with a rinse of water and a final rinse with an antiseptic. Rinses with tea tree are natural, effective oral treatments.
An experienced, reliable pediatric dentist who practices holistic dentistry, such as Dr. Stephen L. Chan, helps children learn good oral hygiene habits.