The whole point of braces is to have a healthy, beautiful smile, right? The positioning of your teeth certainly has a role to play in that, but so does how well you take care of your teeth. The thing is that between brackets and wires, cleaning your teeth is definitely more tricky than it used to be. The good news is that there are special tools that you can use to make the whole process easier.
Waterpik
You know that water is good for your teeth. Even just drinking it can help rinse food particles off the teeth. The waterpik takes that to the next level. It shoots a jet of water that you can use to rinse off your teeth and braces. There are different pressure levels you can choose from, and can come with an orthodontic tip as well. You can use them to floss between your teeth and get food out of hard to reach places around your braces.
Proxa Brush
Short for interproximal brush, a proxa brush offers precision and ease of access to hard to reach spots that a regular toothbrush just can’t match. Make no mistake – it’s still a good idea to use a regular toothbrush and toothpaste to clean your teeth. But when it comes to getting into the smaller spaces under the wires and around the brackets, the proxa brush’s smaller size and cone shape is definitely a handy tool to have.
Platypus Flosser
We know that it’s tough to floss with braces on. Those wires really get in the way of flossing easily. Trying to thread floss through wires to do a good job can be a real pain. That’s why we recommend the Platypus flosser. Its design allows you to slide the flosser between your teeth and the braces. Once you’ve eased it in, you can floss using the C-shape method. Gently hug around the side of the tooth with the floss and go up and down the side.
It’s always easier to get things done when you have the right tools to do it. That is definitely something that applies to cleaning teeth that have braces on them. With the right tools, you won’t need to worry about figuring out how to brush all the little nooks and crannies, and flossing takes a lot less work too. You’ll be that much closer to a smile that isn’t only beautiful, but is healthy too.
Did you know that there are multiple types of braces? Check out the different types of braces we offer at Stellar Family Orthodontics here.