How to Brush & Floss When Wearing Braces

Does your teenager wear braces? Our qualified kid's dentists offer comprehensive children dentistry services to help keep your teen's mouth healthy. 

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Straight teeth are important for more than just cosmetic reasons. Working with your kid’s dentist to improve your child’s teeth can also improve their oral and general health. Braces are an important part of pediatric dentistry because they help your child: 

• Achieve a better and balanced bite
• Correct their speech
• Lower their risk of developing TMD
• Clean their teeth more efficiently, reducing their risk of developing oral infections such as tooth decay
• Have higher self-esteem

 At Marlborough Dental Centre, our Calgary kid’s dentists offer a wide range of children’s dentistry services from regular checkups and teeth whitening to Invisalign and fillings to ensure the long-term health and beauty of your child's smile.

Maintaining Your Child's Oral Health With Braces

Now that your child has braces, it is just as important, if not more so, that they maintain a good oral hygiene regimen throughout the length of their treatment.

 Braces, wires and bands can all trap food particles, making it difficult to brush or floss away plaque. It’s important to discuss with your kid’s dentist how best to clean your child’s teeth to prevent plaque buildup, tooth decay and gum disease.

How to Brush With Braces

• Use a toothbrush with soft bristles
• Move the brush in small CIRCULAR MOTIONS to reach food particles that may be under the gum line
• Brush UP on the lower teeth
• Brush DOWN on the upper teeth
• Brush the outside, inside and chewing surface of your front and back teeth
• Brush the tongue and roof of the mouth before rinsing

Frequency of Brushing With Braces

Kid’s dentists place a very high value on oral hygiene and never fail to emphasize its importance throughout life. This is especially true during orthodontic treatment to avoid accumulation of food particles on your teeth and braces.

 It’s important for your child to brush their teeth:

• In the morning after breakfast
• After lunch or right after school
• After dinner
• Before bedtime

Flossing with Braces

When wearing braces, it’s very easy for food particles to become wedged between teeth and wires, making it difficult to maintain good oral hygiene. For such places where a toothbrush can’t reach, kid’s dentists often recommend flossing.

Some tips for making flossing easier when wearing braces include:

• Use waxed floss as it is less likely to catch on the braces
• Consider using an orthodontic floss threader. This will allow you to pull the floss through the teeth, above the wire, and reach the gum line
• Help your child floss. Especially if they are younger, have them sit or kneel in a well-lit area while you do it for him/her.
• Use an adequate amount of floss (approximately 18 inches)

Invisalign for Children

At Marlborough Dental Centre, we offer Invisalign as part of our pediatric dentistry services. Invisalign is a great alternative to wire braces. This custom-made clear aligner can be used to treat a number of concerns including: 

• Crowded teeth
• Widely spaced teeth
• Bite irregularities
• Mild relapse (after a traditional braces treatment)

Oral Care & Invisalign

One of the reasons why kid’s dentists often recommend Invisalign is because it gives you the ability to REMOVE YOUR ALIGNERS when eating, drinking and brushing your teeth.While traditional braces will make your child’s dental hygiene regimen more difficult, Invisalign offers comfort and convenience.

 You simply have to ensure your child:

• Brushes & flosses twice daily
• Follows the dentist’s instructions on how to clean your aligners
• Makes regular appointments to visit their dentist for checkups and cleanings

Contact Us

To find out more about our wide range of pediatric and children dentistry services including the costs and benefits of the Invisalign treatment, contact our Calgary kid’s dentist at 403-248-2066 or fill in our online contact form.