Brushing and flossing your teeth is always important in maintaining clean and healthy teeth. With braces, these tasks can become a little more difficult and less effective. A toothbrush can’t reach all the gaps and spaces that braces present, and flossing around brackets and wires becomes a pain. However, it’s crucial that every patient thoroughly brushes and flosses around their braces to keep their teeth clean throughout orthodontic treatment.
At Quality Dental Care in Omaha, we know how hard it can be to clean your teeth in the presence of braces, but it’s absolutely essential. In an effort to help our patients prevent cavities and staining, we’ll show you the importance of maintaining your teeth with braces.
A Thorough Routine
Like we said, brushing and flossing are always a must, and they become much more necessary when braces are a factor. The brackets and wires of traditional braces form hard-to-reach areas throughout your mouth, leaving it susceptible to cavities and staining.
Additionally, food can get stuck in your braces, letting harmful acids and sugars remain on your teeth for a longer period of time. This makes brushing after every meal a necessity. Simply put, a thorough dental hygiene routine is critical to your teeth with braces.
Helpful Tools
Aside from maintaining a thorough cleaning routine, there are a few other tools you can use to further protect your teeth from harm during your orthodontic treatment. Consider the helpful tools below to keep your braces clean:
- Proxy Brushes: These spiral-shaped brushes are designed to clean between brackets and under wires. They are perfect for bringing on the go so you can clean your braces throughout the day.
- Floss Threaders: Flossing is often more difficult with braces, but floss threaders can make it easier to feed the floss through your appliances. Ask Dr. Trumm for floss threaders during your next visit.
- Water Flosser: Water flossers are a great investment for patients with braces. They use a pressurized stream of water to flush out debris and plaque between your teeth, and are an effective alternative to dental floss.
Add Professional Cleanings
Regardless of how well you maintain your teeth with braces, we recommend every patient visits Dr. Erich Trumm for a checkup and cleaning twice a year. As one of the premier dentists in Omaha, Dr. Trumm will ensure your teeth are cavity free and give them a thorough cleaning.
Contact Dr. Trumm at Quality Dental in Omaha today to schedule an appointment. You can call us at 402.431.8844. Also, browse our website for a full list of services and more information.