After you get braces, it’s even more important to keep your teeth and gums in excellent health. Food can get trapped in appliances, and if without proper cleaning, this could quickly lead to gum disease, tooth decay, and even tooth loss. Follow the instructions below to keep your teeth healthy throughout your treatment.

• Brush your teeth four times a day: after breakfast, after lunch or right after school, after dinner, and before bed.
• Place a small amount of fluoride toothpaste on a soft-bristle toothbrush.
• Brush in small, circular motions to reach food particles trapped under the gum line.
• Hold the toothbrush at an angle and brush slowly between the braces and surface of each tooth.
• Brush your tongue and the roof if your mouth.
• Floss using the reusable floss threader we provide each night.
• Pull a small length of floss from the dispenser through the threader and slide it up and down along the front of each tooth.
• Floss gently around the archwire with minimal pressure, and then floss between your other teeth and gums.
• Pull a small length of floss from the dispenser if you are flossing without a threader and wrap the ends tightly around your middle fingers, unwrapping clean floss as you go.
• Rinse with an antibacterial mouthwash.
• Replace your toothbrush as soon as the bristles begin to wear down or fray.