When it comes to children and teen orthodontics in Renton and Burien, WA, Pristera Orthodontics aims to be your choice. We’re proud to offer a variety of children’s braces and teen braces for kids of all ages. When you’ve decided on an orthodontic treatment and the braces are finally in place, it becomes even more important than ever to keep up with your oral hygiene regimen. Because of this, we want to provide you with some tips on how to maintain an optimal level of oral hygiene while wearing braces.
Brushing
While it’s always of the utmost importance to brush your teeth a few times a day, it’s more vital to do so during orthodontic treatment because of the food particles that can accumulate in your braces. We recommend brushing:
- After breakfast
- After lunch or after school
- After dinner
- Before bedtime
Flossing
When you wear braces, flossing will require more time and patience. Having said that, it’s still very important to floss once a day, preferably before bedtime. A reusable floss threader is a great tool to simplify your flossing – just pull a small length of floss from the dispenser through the threader and slide it up and down the front of each tooth. Make sure to use care when around your archwire and don’t floss too forcefully.
Interdental Toothbrush
If you need help with flossing, you can always use an interdental toothbrush as an alternative. This toothbrush is able to clean underneath and around your archwire and braces. Please make sure to use it gently to avoid damaging your wires.
Antibacterial Mouthwash
In order to reduce inflammation to your cheeks and gums, we recommend using a hydrogen peroxide antiseptic mouthwash. This will help prevent infection, heal sores or injuries, and decrease any irritation that may result from wearing braces. For proper usage, you’ll rinse your mouth with two teaspoons of the hydrogen peroxide mouthwash for one minute before spitting it out. Like brushing, you can use it up to four times a day.
Topical Fluoride
A sodium fluoride gel is helpful in preventing tooth decay while you’re wearing braces. Fluoride gel will kill bacteria and replace minerals in tooth enamel that have been eroded by harmful acids. For efficient usage, you should place a small strip of gel on your toothbrush and apply it to your teeth for a minute. Spit it out and make sure not to eat or drink anything for at least 30 minutes afterward. It’s important for the active ingredient to stay on your teeth for that length of time so you don’t want to risk accidentally washing it off. Fluoride gel won’t replace your daily brushing though; it should be used once a day, before bedtime, in addition to your regular brushing schedule.
Cleaning Your Removable Appliances
If you have a removable appliance, you’ll want to brush it once a day as part of your regular brushing routine; food particles and plaque can accumulate on your appliance just as they can on your teeth. To clean your appliance, you should dissolve a denture-cleaning tablet in a glass of water that’s at room temperature and soak the appliance in it once a day.
Contact Your Burien or Renton, WA Orthodontist Today!
If you’re looking for children’s braces in Burien or Renton, WA, you’ve come to the right place! You can schedule an appointment with us by filling out our online appointment request form. Alternatively, you can give us a call at (425) 430-1320 for our Renton office or (206) 241-6554 for our Burien office. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions. We can’t wait to help put you on the path toward a straighter and healthier smile!
