Orthodontic Aids to Help you Care for Braces

Caring for your teeth during all times is absolutely essential, but oral hygiene becomes imperative when you begin to wear braces. That’s because people who wear dental braces tend to have special dental hygiene challenges in terms of removing food particles stuck between the brackets and bands, cleaning all areas of the teeth, etc.  Fortunately for people who wear these orthodontic appliances, there are a number of dental aids that can help make the task of caring for their precious teeth a lot easier. By following a routine of brushing and flossing daily, in conjunction with regular use of these dental aids, it's possible to have teeth that are not just straight and well aligned, but also healthy and decay-free.

Why Dental Aids?

Regular brushing and flossing may be enough for the regular Joe to maintain oral health, but tools like special tooth brushes, oral irrigators and others can help you go that extra mile to keep your teeth and gums healthy, and prevent infections.  However, remember that whatever aids you make use of should be used in combination with a daily brushing and flossing routine, and not instead of it. There is no substitute for the benefits of regular brushing and flossing for those who are undergoing orthodontic treatment.

Common Dental Aids for Braces

Oral Irrigators

Like the name suggests, these are special tools that shoot bursts of water into specific areas of the mouth. The pressure from the streams of water helps dislodge food particles that may be stuck between the teeth, or in hard-to-reach areas of the mouth.  It can be attached to your shower, and can be used to target areas between your teeth, or along the gum line. You can also aim it down gum pockets, allowing you to blast off for debris that may be firmly edged there, waiting to set off an infection.  You can control the temperature as well as the pressure of the water to ensure best results for your teeth. Oral irrigators are ideally used in conjunction with flossing, but more and more people are beginning to use these in place of floss.  Although flossing is recommended for braces wearers, those who find it difficult to maneuver the floss around the braces may find that oral irrigators offer an easier and quicker option to clean the teeth. Plus, they help reach down into gum pockets where your floss cannot.  For best results, use floss between teeth, and an oral irrigator to get to the areas that your floss can't reach.

Toothbrushes

People who wear braces may find single tuft brushes that have a smaller head easier to use and more useful in getting food particles out of hard-to-access areas, like the back teeth.  

Mouthwashes

Ask your orthodontist to prescribe an anti-bacterial mouthwash that can keep your mouth free of decay causing germs.  A regular over-the-counter mouthwash may have mouth freshening properties, but may not be able to inhibit bacterial growth.