Maintaining Your Oral Hygiene While Undergoing Houston Braces Treatment

Good oral hygiene means coming to your dental cleanings with us twice a year, brushing your teeth twice a day with a fluoridated toothpaste, and flossing every night. With your braces though, you have to take extra special care of your teeth and be strict on yourself when it comes to your dental hygiene routine.

Do Thorough Oral Rinses

Special oral rinses are very effective at helping wash away food particles that may have been left on your brackets. Our South Houston dentists recommend you complete mouth rinses after each meal, right before you brush your teeth. We also recommend you use a fluoridated mouthwash before bed, after you’ve finished brushing your teeth. This will encourage stronger, healthier teeth while you undergo your Houston braces treatment.

Brush Your Teeth More Often

Following regular oral rinses, it’s important to brush your teeth more often when you are undergoing Houston braces treatment because the surfaces of your teeth are no longer fully exposed. This is because of the metal or ceramic brackets that are fused to your teeth in order to hold the metal wire in place. Our South Houston dentists recommend that rather than brushing twice daily, you brush after each meal you eat. This will help ensure no food particles get stuck in between your brackets, which is great preventative care for avoiding cavities.

Our South Houston family dentists recommend you carry a travel-size toothbrush and toothpaste with you so that you can always have a toothbrush handy. This way you can be sure to brush as often as necessary.

Floss More Carefully

Flossing is rather hard to do when your teeth are misaligned, but it’s also hard to do while you wear braces. However, it is an absolute MUST. Nowadays there are several different kinds of floss, and many of them are dental braces-friendly, so they are easy to use as well as effective. If you have a hard time though, our family dentists will gladly teach you how to floss properly.

Visit Our South Houston Office For Your Dental Check-Up

Much like how your dental cleanings are important when you don't have braces, they are even more important during your orthodontic treatment. We recommend you come in for a cleaning every 6 months for optimal health. If you are wearing Houston braces, please book your appointment today so that we can check on your progress, ensure your mouth and teeth are healthy, and complete a deep cleaning.