Cleaning your teeth is an important part of the day, especially when you have braces or Invisalign®. If you don’t look after your teeth you will develop plaque buildup and even cavities. In today’s blog, we’ll be giving you teeth cleaning tips that will give you a beautiful, healthy smile.
Tip 1: Choose your toothbrush
Before you start, it’s a good idea to choose the right toothbrush. You’ll need to make sure the brush you chose has soft bristles as these are kind to your enamel. Hard bristled brushes may wear down your enamel if used with force. Make sure you change your toothbrush/electric toothbrush head every 3 months or after you have been ill as bacteria will have collected around the brush.
Electric or manual toothbrush?
For the best results, we suggest you use an electric toothbrush as it is most effective and provides a more consistent clean.
Tip 2: Brush all areas of your mouth
It’s not just the front of your teeth that need brushing but the backs too. To make this easier you should angle your toothbrush to reach behind your teeth. After you have brushed your teeth and braces, it's time to focus on the rest of your mouth. Brush along the gumline, the roof of your mouth, your cheeks and tongue to eliminate bad breath and bacteria buildup.
Tip 3: Floss
Food particles can get trapped between your teeth and with brushing alone, can’t be removed. Flossing after brushing will remove any bacteria that has been left behind. If you have braces, you can use dental floss and interdental brushes to help clean the brackets and wires and in areas that your brush can’t reach as well.
Tip 4: Remember to brush at least twice a day
We recommend brushing after lunch as well as morning and evening. Make sure you don’t forget to brush, doing so will put your teeth at risk of developing plaque buildup which will lead to cavities. If you develop any of these problems during Orthodontic treatment you will need to have treatment to remove it before continuing with brace treatment. If you struggle to remember to brush your teeth, why not set an alarm or reminder on your phone.
If you need some advice about caring for your teeth and braces make sure you give us a call on 0161 768 0931.