This is an automatically translated article.
Currently, braces (Orthodontic treatment) is a method of dental treatment chosen by many people to improve the aesthetic condition and chewing function of the teeth. However, the problem of oral hygiene when braces can cause many problems due to the presence of brackets and other appliances on the teeth. The following article will introduce to you how to properly brush your teeth when wearing braces.
1. The importance of oral hygiene when braces
For most people, brushing and flossing is the usual way to ensure oral hygiene. However, for patients undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment, this is still not enough. The reason is that food is very easily trapped under the bowstring, around the elastic bands in place and this will be a favorable condition for plaque formation. Over time, bacteria in plaque absorb sugars and convert them to acids that irritate the gums, causing bad breath and tooth decay.
Therefore, an important factor to ensure oral hygiene is to clean the plaque on the teeth and around the brackets regularly, thereby helping to keep the teeth after orthodontic treatment healthy and beautiful.
2. How to brush teeth properly when braces
A lot of people are interested in how to properly brush their teeth when wearing braces, because this process is somewhat more complicated than regular brushing.
To perform the correct brushing steps, you need to prepare a soft brush and brush with a moderate force along with fluoride toothpaste. Place the brush over the gums with a moderate inclination and "swipe" gently along the surface of the teeth. Perform a thorough brushing of each tooth in turn of all teeth including the areas above, below and in the middle of each bracket.
You should brush your teeth at least 3 times a day, after each meal and before going to bed. The toothbrush used for people with braces will break down faster than usual, because of the presence of brackets. Therefore, you need to replace the brush as soon as it becomes tangled.
Need to be careful when brushing teeth:
Do not brush with too much force: When brushing with strong force, not only can't clean the teeth but also make the brush quickly damaged. The structure of dental plaque is very soft, so it only needs to be gently brushed many times to be able to dissolve it. Do not brush your teeth in a horizontal brushing style like pulling a guitar, as doing so can lead to neck wear, damaged gums, and unclean teeth. You should brush your teeth up and down in the direction of the tooth axis or in a circle to clean the teeth. Brushing time should take place for at least 2 minutes. Use together with toothpaste and mouthwash containing fluoride to help protect and strengthen teeth during orthodontic treatment.
3. Some other oral hygiene methods when braces
3.1. Interdental brush An interdental brush is a very effective tool for removing large amounts of food debris and should be used daily to remove plaque from teeth and gums. You need to bend the steel wire part of the brush to create the right angle. Then put the brush under the lip arch wire, from the gum to the biting edge, brush slowly about 15 times from bracket to bracket. Once you have used an interstitial brush for each bracket, it is time to use a regular brush in the same way as described above.
3.2. Dental floss Dental floss is considered suitable for braces, but it is necessary to ensure that it is easy to use and does not cause trauma to the gums. You can perform the method of removing plaque between your teeth with a coiled thread in the following way:
Each time you use, you need to take a piece of thread about 30 - 45cm long and then roll the two ends of the thread into the two middle fingers, Use two thumbs and index fingers to stretch this thread so that in the middle there is a piece of about 3-5cm. Gently pull the thread to get it between the teeth and then bend the thread around the teeth. Pull the thread up and down to clean the teeth. To ensure that plaque and food debris is removed, you should insert the thread gently under the gums a little. In each interdental area, repeat the movement at least twice, including once for the right side of the interdental and once for the left side. 3.3.Cleaning with a water flosser According to research by dental experts around the world, it has been confirmed that water flosser is 3 times more effective than brushes and floss in cleaning the interdental and surrounding areas. around brackets. It only takes you 1-2 minutes a day with a few simple steps when using a water flosser for oral hygiene.
4. Diet when braces so reasonable?
Building the right eating habits to help you prevent the risks of braces loosening during orthodontic treatment. In addition, eating carefully for new patients wearing braces also helps reduce pain and shorten the time of braces due to the time-consuming brackets falling off. Should avoid using sticky foods such as chewing gum, caramel candy, gummy candy, ... easier to clean teeth.
Foods that are crunchy, chewy, sticky, hard can damage the appliance causing it to loosen or affect tooth traction such as hard-shell bread, French bread, thick cake, sticky rice cake, popcorn , hard candy, ice,...
In addition, you should also limit the consumption of foods containing a lot of sweets and starches such as fast food and confectionery. It will be an environment containing a lot of sugar that easily produces acids and plaque that cause tooth decay and periodontal diseases. Should limit smoking, use a lot of tea, soda, coffee, candy, ... during the braces period, because they contain colorants that can have a bad effect on your teeth.
The above article introduced you to how to properly brush your teeth when braces to help you keep your teeth strong while braces and after they are removed. If you still have any questions, you can contact Dr. Vinmec for advice and support.
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