Having braces can be a painful, yet exciting, time in your life. You get to transform your smile, perfect it and feel more confident. But that does not come without its challenges. There are some things you need to think about before embarking on this journey. Things like how much maintenance you can handle and what you will need to make the process easier.
Having braces does not just affect your mouth, but also your cheeks, lips and tongue. The different parts of your mouth have varying degrees of friction and impact how you care for your teeth post-brace treatment. Here are some tips on how to manage caring for your braces with ease as well as what toothbrush is best suited for people who wear braces.
Decide Whether You Will Brush or Floss First
There is no set rule for how you should approach oral health when you have braces. You can do whatever you feel most comfortable with. Keep in mind that brushing is more impactful on the teeth and surrounding gums compared to flossing.
If your teeth are already sensitive, brushing may be easier to start with. Brushing is best done immediately after eating and flossing can be done before or after as well. This ensures that food particles are removed from your braces.
This is especially important since food particles are more easily trapped in the open space wherein the teeth are being straightened. Brushing can dislodge food particles, but flossing allows you to get between the teeth and braces for a truly thorough clean.
Rotating Heads Are Your Friend
If you are going to use a manual toothbrush, it’s best to buy one with rotating heads. This will help you dislodge food particles from in between the braces and teeth. Rotating heads are also great for people with sensitive gums, since they will not cause as much friction.
If you use an electric toothbrush, make sure the heads are rotating. Otherwise, you will not be able to remove food particles from your braces effectively.
Go For Electric Battery-Powered
The lower the frequency (kHz), the less the vibration will affect the surrounding tissue. Higher frequencies generate more vibrations and may be too harsh on your gums. If you have sensitive teeth and gums, we recommend that you use a low-frequency toothbrush. This will ensure that your mouth is not affected by the vibrations of the toothbrush.
Which Brushing Style Is Best?
Rotation
Rotation is best for cleaning the outer surface of the teeth and for people with braces. This is because it helps dislodge trapped food particles.
E-Motion
E-Motion is best for people who have sensitive teeth and gums. This is because it has lower vibrations and will not damage the surrounding tissue.
Cleaning
Cleaning is best for braces as well as other orthodontic appliances. This is because it gives you full coverage of the teeth and braces and allows you to reach the areas that are hard to get to.
Best Toothbrush for Braces: Sonic or Ultrasonic?
Sonic toothbrushes use vibrations while ultrasonic toothbrushes emit vibrations. Sonic toothbrushes are more common and cheaper, while ultrasonic toothbrushes are more expensive and mostly found in specialty stores.
We recommend that you choose a sonic toothbrush since it is more cost-effective. While ultrasonic toothbrushes may clean your teeth better, sonic toothbrushes are still great for removing plaque and impurities from your teeth and gums.
On top of that, sonic toothbrushes are better for those who wear braces. Sonic toothbrushes have lower vibrations than ultrasonic toothbrushes. This means that sonic toothbrushes are gentler on your mouth and are less likely to irritate your teeth and gums.
High-Quality Bristles Are Also Important
High-quality bristles are softer and less abrasive than low-quality bristles. This is important since people with braces have sensitive gums. The harder the bristles, the more likely they are to cause damage to your gums.
Low-quality bristles are also more likely to break off and become embedded in the gums. This causes irritation, which can lead to more serious infections. Aside from the bristles themselves, you should also look into the durability of the toothbrush. It should last at least 3 months.
How Much Time You Should Brush?
Brushing is recommended for 2 minutes. This is the right amount of time needed to thoroughly brush your teeth. You can time yourself or use a timer to keep track of the time. If you are new to brushing, setting a timer is a good way to build up your confidence.
It is important to note that when you have braces, you should brush for a bit longer. This is because there are areas in your mouth where the braces create open spaces that are harder to reach. You want to make sure that you are covering all areas and thoroughly removing plaque.
Summing It Up
Having braces is a challenging experience that requires a few extra steps in your oral care routine. There are all sorts of nooks and crannies for food to get stuck in, and it can be difficult to reach all of the places with a regular toothbrush. It is important to brush for longer than usual and floss regularly. You can also use a water pick or an electric toothbrush to make it easier.
Toothbrushes for braces have bristles that are angled in such a way that they can reach all of the surfaces of your teeth, even those hard-to-reach spots. They also often have smaller heads, so that you can get into all of the spaces between your teeth and brackets. And because they are designed specifically for people with braces, they are usually much more effective at removing plaque and food debris than a regular toothbrush.