Tooth care is essential to ensure that your mouth is in good health. But achieving it becomes a more complicated task when you are undergoing some orthodontic treatment. As your dental advisors, we recommend you follow these oral hygiene tips with orthodontics so that you keep your smile healthy. The post will discuss orthodontic treatments and dental care routines during these times in a two-part series, broken down for your ease.

Most used orthodontic treatments

There are different orthodontic treatments. Each one possesses characteristics that adapt to the requirements of the patients by providing them with the results they want regarding the best positioning of their teeth.

Some of the most popular and effective methods or treatments today are:

• The metal brackets: It is a fixed treatment that is made of stainless-steel. It is placed on the outside of the teeth.
• Incognito orthodontics: In this case the brackets are placed on the inside of the teeth.
• Invisalign: It consists of a transparent and removable aligner that is changed from time to time to modify the position of the teeth.

Depending on the case and its severity, the orthodontist will recommend the best treatment to improve the position of your teeth and bite.

Oral hygiene tips with orthodontics

After putting on any of the above methods you should know how to maintain your oral hygiene. You will have to follow certain procedures and include in your routine some elements that will facilitate the process. But this will depend on whether your orthodontics is removable or fixed. If you can remove it and replace it freely as with the invisalign treatment, you just have to comply with a proper dental hygiene routine. And also, properly clean your orthodontic appliance independently. But if you have braces or a fixed orthodontic treatment you should take into account the following tips:

How to brush your teeth with braces?

If you have fixed orthodontics or braces, you should keep in mind that food scraps will accumulate in them very easily. This is why you must follow the following tips when brushing your teeth.

• Get an interproximal or interdental toothbrush. These are ideal for cleaning between brackets.
• Your regular toothbrush should have soft bristles.
• Change your brush every three to four months.
• Use fluoride toothpaste. This in addition to strengthening your teeth minimizes the sensitivity that orthodontics can produce.
• Brush in sections. Divide your mouth into 4 parts, left, right, upper and lower. This way you make sure to clean each one of them.
• Pay close attention to the section around and in the center of the braces.
• When using your interproximal brush, insert it from the top of the wire and then from the bottom.

How to floss with braces?

One way to complete the cleaning of a fixed orthodontic appliance is to floss. But many people don’t know the right way to do it.

Once you have taken an approximate amount of 40 centimeters of dental floss you should follow the following steps.

• Floss between the top of the tooth and the wire of the braces.
• With a movement of saw passes the dental floss gently through the sides of each tooth.
• Check with your orthodontist if you need to use any specific type of thread.
• At the end of the process you can use antiseptic mouthwash to rinse your mouth. We recommend those that contain chlorhexidine.

It is essential that you maintain a strict oral cleaning routine, especially if you have braces. Brush at least three times a day and after each meal. This will help you so that during the orthodontic treatment there is no complication due to caries or gum infection.