During orthodontic treatment, it is very important to clean your teeth thoroughly to keep dental decay and gum disease at bay. However, it can be extremely difficult to clean around fixed braces. Here are five tips that might help to make your daily oral hygiene routine a little easier.

1. Use an Electric Toothbrush

According to orthodontists, electric toothbrushes are better than manual ones for people who have dental braces. In addition to a timer that ensures you brush for enough time, some electric toothbrushes have many other features that can help you to clean more efficiently. For example, pressure sensors let you know if you press too hard. To get the best clean with an electric brush, choose one that has a small toothbrush head and soft bristles.

2. Try Orthodontic Brush Heads

Some dental brands produce orthodontic brush heads for electric toothbrushes. These are specifically designed for cleaning braces. Orthodontic toothbrush heads have very thin bristles to allow them to penetrate into the spaces between the brackets and wires that are fixed to your teeth.

3. Replace Toothbrush Heads Frequently

Dental braces are particularly tough on electric toothbrush bristles, compared to bare teeth. You might notice that your toothbrush heads wear out more quickly than usual during your orthodontic treatment. Be sure to replace them as soon as they start to look worn to ensure you get the best clean possible every day.

4. Use Interdental Brushes to Floss

Many people with braces struggle to use string floss. However, that does not mean that you should give up on flossing during your orthodontic treatment, as leaving plaque between your teeth can put you at risk of gum disease. Instead, try using interdental brushes to clean the hard-to-reach places you cannot clean with string floss.

5. Try Water Flossing

If your teeth are very tightly packed together, even an interdental brush might not be able to reach into the gaps between them. In this case, a water flosser can be a very convenient alternative. This device fires a high-pressure water jet at your teeth to flush out traces of food and plaque from the interdental spaces.

If these five top tips do not enable you to brush and floss your teeth thoroughly, talk to your orthodontist. Dental hygiene is very important during treatment with orthodontics, so dental professionals should be keen to work with you to find a solution. 

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