When you get braces for the first time, it can change the way you do a lot of things. One area that many patients struggle with is properly cleaning their teeth. You don’t want your gums to become infected due to poor oral hygiene. Fortunately, there are some great tips that our dentist in San Diego is going to share with you to make your teeth cleaning so much easier to do.
Opt for Soft Bristle Toothbrushes
To successfully clean the enamel on your teeth, your toothbrush’s bristles must come into direct contact with your gums. One of the best ways to ensure this happens with braces is to opt for a softer bristle toothbrush. This will allow you to more easily get to your gums without irritating them and causing inflammation.
Brush Everytime After You Eat
One of the best ways to help avoid any food build-up between your teeth, according to our dentist La Jolla, is to brush them more often. It’s true that wire braces catch a plethora of food debris. The sooner you can remove that food debris, the less likely it will be to turn into plaque.
Our La Costa dental team suggests carrying a travel toothbrush to ensure that you always have one available. The only caveat is that you won’t want to brush directly after eating acidic foods like oranges. These acidic foods need a good 30 minutes in your mouth before brushing to avoid softening your tooth enamel.
Spend Adequate Time Behind the Brush
If you’re in a hurry, it can be too easy to simply brush over your teeth and run. However, our dentist in La Jolla highly recommends brushing your teeth for a total of two full minutes. A solid 30 seconds should be devoted to each part of the mouth, including the lower left, upper left, lower right, and upper right. Make sure that you clean both the outside and inside of your teeth. It can help to set a timer so that you can be assured that you’re brushing for the allotted time.
Waterpiks Can Be Very Helpful
One popular product at our La Costa dental facility for patients with braces is the waterpik. Flossing can be a real challenge for those with braces due to the various metal components inside their mouths. A waterpik can eliminate the need for physical floss threading because it uses a cleansing stream of water instead. Waterpiks are very quick and easy to use.
Adapting to life with braces is one of the struggles that our La Costa dental facility repeatedly sees. Fortunately, with the help of our dentist in La Jolla, we can help to make the process much easier, especially when it comes to cleaning your braces. Be sure to contact our California dentist today to learn more about dental cleaning with your braces.
