Brushing and Flossing

Brushing and Flossing with Braces

Oral hygiene is still number one

When you have braces, brushing and flossing after every meal is crucial to keep your mouth healthy and your treatment on track. Braces easily trap bits of food that can cause tooth decay if not properly cleaned. With a few modifications to your regular routine, you’ll be just fine. 

Hyde Park Website Photos

Brushing with braces

Brush your teeth for two minutes after every meal with a soft-bristled, small-headed toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. Electric toothbrushes are even more effective. Ask our staff about Sonicare toothbrushes and brush heads.

  1. Brush the outside surfaces of your teeth using small, gentle, circular motions while positioning the bristles at a 45-degree angle to the gum line. Clean well the area between the brackets and gums.
  2. Move on to your teeth’s chewing surfaces and inside surfaces using short, gentle, back-and-forth motions. Pay special attention to the areas around your brackets or other appliances.  

flossing braces

Flossing with braces 

  1. Use a floss threader or special orthodontic floss to thread the floss behind the archwire so you can slip it between your teeth. Wrap the ends of the floss around your pointer fingers with a few inches of taut floss between them.
  2. To remove plaque and food particles, gently slide the floss down the sides of each tooth and beneath the gum line using a back-and-forth motion.

If you find that your floss is not removing all of the food particles between your teeth and around your braces, ask us about a Sonicare Airfloss.  

Oral Hygiene Supplements

In addition to the Sonicare Powered Toothbrush and Airfloss, we also suggest a few other products that can boost your hygiene routine:

  • Floss threaders and interproximal brushes (to aid in cleaning between teeth)
  • Colgate Phos-Flur (an anti-cavity fluoride rinse)
  • HD Plaque Toothpaste (a plaque-disclosing toothpaste)

We’re happy to help you choose the toothbrush, floss, and other oral care products best suited for your teeth and appliances.  

New patient? Special offer here!
Chat with us
Welcome to Hyde Park Orthodontics!
We are open and offering complimentary new patient consultations.
How can we help?
I'm considering treatment
I’m a patient and need assistance
Excellent, I can help!
Good news, We're are now offering both free Virtual and In-Office Consultations
PLUS, we have a limited time special offer for you.
Just by chatting here we’re both saving valuable time, so you've just earned a $100 credit toward treatment!
Use this promo code: SMILE and click one of the options below here to redeem your $250 credit and let us know what you are comfortable doing next:
I'd like to set up a virtual consultation
I'd like to set up an in-person consultation
I have a quick question - click to call Hyde Park Orthodontics