How to clean fixed braces & brackets properly: tips and tricks
People with fixed braces should pay particular attention to their dental care. Braces make brushing your teeth more difficult and provide ideal hiding places for bacteria. Food residue and plaque can accumulate in the corners and edges of the brackets and promote tooth decay and periodontitis. But don't worry: With the right dental care and the innovative products from emmi-dent, this can be reliably prevented. Our ultrasonic toothbrush in particular offers braces wearers a unique solution for thorough and gentle cleaning. But how can you clean fixed braces optimally? And what tools are necessary for this?
Challenges of cleaning fixed braces
With fixed braces, the brackets are attached directly to the teeth. The arches are attached to the brackets with rubber bands or wires (conventional brackets) or held in the bracket by a flap (self-ligating brackets). This creates numerous hiding places in the mouth for food particles. Plaque can form more easily between the elements and natural mouth cleaning through saliva flow is restricted. This is where the emmi-dent ultrasonic toothbrush comes into play - it also reaches the hard-to-reach areas around the brackets and cleans thoroughly without damaging the braces. That's why it's important to have the right tools in the bathroom to be able to clean the fixed braces effectively.
Products that help clean fixed braces and brackets
Why an ultrasonic toothbrush?
The emmi-dent ultrasonic toothbrush has been specially developed for people who wear braces and brackets. Unlike conventional electric toothbrushes, which clean with rotating movements, the emmi-dent toothbrush works with ultrasound. The gentle vibrations penetrate deep into the hard-to-reach areas around the brackets and wires and dissolve plaque and bacteria without damaging the brackets. This results in a more thorough cleaning that is not possible with a normal toothbrush. People who wear braces benefit from effective dental care and can better prevent tooth decay and inflammation.
Cleaning fixed braces in 5 steps
A thorough dental care routine is essential to maintain your fixed braces and keep your teeth healthy. You should spend at least five minutes twice a day caring for your fixed braces. These five steps will help:
1. Rinse your mouth with water after every meal: This will remove any food residue.
2. Brush your teeth with the emmi-dent ultrasonic toothbrush: The metal bands of the fixed braces and the brackets must be thoroughly cleaned from above and below. The ultrasonic waves also reach hard-to-reach areas and ensure thorough cleaning without damaging the braces.
3. Brush the chewing surfaces and insides of the teeth.
4. Clean the spaces under the metal arches and between the brackets with an interdental brush: A single-tuft brush can also be helpful for cleaning the teeth around the brackets and at the gum line. Superfloss, a special dental floss with reinforced ends for threading, can also be used for the spaces between the teeth.
5. Rinse mouth with mouthwash.
What else is important?
Fluoride: Fluoride protects very well against tooth decay. It is particularly important for people wearing fixed braces to use a toothpaste containing fluoride and to apply a high-dose fluoride gel once a week. Sealing the area around the brackets and regular professional teeth cleanings by an orthodontist are also recommended.
Dental care on the go: A small dental care set for school or on the go is very practical and contains all the necessary tools.
Preventing dental diseases and caries with fixed braces
Regular and thorough cleaning of fixed braces is crucial to prevent dental diseases such as tooth decay and periodontitis. By taking proper care of your teeth and braces, your teeth will not only stay healthy, but will also be free of plaque and bacteria that can build up around the brackets. Methods such as brushing your teeth with an ultrasonic toothbrush and using an interdental brush for hard-to-reach areas are particularly effective.
To avoid long-term tooth damage, you should, in addition to your daily care, also have your teeth cleaned regularly by an orthodontist or dentist. This comprehensive care protects your teeth from tooth decay and ensures that your teeth remain beautiful and healthy during and after treatment with fixed braces.