Brushing With Braces

Dr. Arnold Malerman

L&M Orthodontics

1. Soft bristled toothbrushes are better for everyone, no matter their age. Bacterial plaque is sticky and soft like pancake syrup.  If you spilled pancake syrup onto the kitchen table, you wouldn’t try to clean it off with a wire brush.
2. A soft rag would do a much better job.  Soft bristled toothbrushes do a much better job of flexing into tiny hard to reach spaces to then wipe the plaque off your teeth as well as not wearing away tooth structure.
3. Discard brush after sickness. Toothbrushes can have microbial build up.
4. It’s important to brush everywhere, but do it gently.  Brushing harder does not clean better.  Brush 2 full minutes by the clock (play a song on your smartphone and brush for the entire length of the song) at least twice a day, before breakfast and before bed.  And don’t forget to floss 1x/day every day
5. Handle shapes don’t matter. The neck of the brush has little effect on the overall results.
6. When you are wearing braces, brush 45º down from the top, 45º up from the bottom, to get the bristles behind the wires.
7. In actuality the act of chewing increases salivary flow, which can help wash away plaque.  But when you’re in braces, avoid gum because it can bend wires and detach the braces.
8. Store your toothbrush at least 6’ away from the toilet bowl to prevent yucky aerosol contamination.