Brushing your teeth when you have braces is really important. If you don’t brush properly plaque can easily buildup around the brackets and cause permanent scarring and gum issues. This can happen quickly. In just a few weeks.

So does it matter which toothbrush you use?

No not really.

The most important thing is that you spend the right amount of time and brush your teeth well.

Brushing your teeth with braces takes longer. If you are rushed in the morning make sure to spend the extra time at night doing it properly. This doesn’t mean brushing hard. We typically recommend using gentle, circular motions to brush the teeth and braces thoroughly.  Brushing should cover all tooth surfaces, including around brackets and under wires.

Most orthodontists will recommend using a soft bristled toothbrush as they are gentler on the gums and tooth enamel. Brushing too hard can lead to gums receding away from the teeth.

Sometimes we will recommend the use of a waterflosser. A water flosser is a small electric device that shoots a stream of water at different pressures. Waterflossers are great at cleaning underneath the wires and around the brackets of the braces. Care needs to be taken around the gum line as using them excessively or at too hard a pressure can lead to gums receding.

Interdental brushes and floss will also do the same thing as water flossers. Instead of using a jet of water to clean the plaque, the plaque is manually removed by the small bristled interdental brushes which are gently pushed underneath the wire. Floss is the only thing that cleans between the teeth effectively.

Orthodontic toothbrushes generally have the centre part cut out of the bristles in a V or U shape form. This design helps to clean around the brackets and wires. The bristles also tend to be softer to gently clean around the gumlines. Some people prefer the control they get with manual toothbrushes and there is a huge range available. Plus they are very easy to carry and pack when going away.

Electric toothbrushes on the other hand have oscillating or rotating brushes heads that may be helpful for some people that struggle to clean well with a manual toothbrush. Some electric toothbrushes have timers and pressure sensors that can help clean more effectively and for the right amount of time.

We provide all our patients who get braces or aligners with a comprehensive orthodontic starter pack. This includes orthodontic toothbrushes, flossers, high fluoride toothpaste, wax and plaque disclosing tablets. Plaque disclosing tablets are great at showing where someone may be missing with their brushing.

We also stock all these items in both our Richmond and Nelson practices and we can post them to you directly. Just contact on one of our friendly team on 03 546 6981 or click link here and send us a message.