Getting braces is your first step to having perfectly straight teeth. The next thing you should focus on is keeping your smile healthy throughout this process! It’s no secret that it can be difficult to clean around metal wires and brackets. Fortunately, there are several tools you can use that’ll make cleaning your braces easier, even while you’re on the go. Read on to learn the top five best tools for cleaning your smile with metal braces in Parsippany!
Tool #1: Mouth Rinses
Although you can’t hold it, water is extremely valuable for rinsing your teeth after you eat or drink sugary/acidic items. Instead of allowing food matter or debris to settle on top of your teeth, you can give your mouth a swish of plain water to clear things out until you can use your toothbrush.
Tool #2: Toothbrush
Brushing removes particles and plaque, which is why it’s recommended that you brush your braces after every meal and snack. Getting yourself a travel-sized toothbrush will help when you aren’t home and need to conveniently scrub your teeth and braces. They’re just as good as full-sized brushes, so whichever you choose should work. If you’re looking to add that extra fluoride kick, travel-sized toothpaste can also come in handy.
Tool #3: An Interproximal Brush
This is a particular kind of tree-shaped brush that allows you to clean in between the archwire and teeth. By doing so, you can dislodge food that gets stuck around your braces, and it’s also effective at cleaning your gums and removing plaque. You might even want to keep using it after you get your braces removed.
Tool #4: Floss
As one of your main tools, a floss can help you clean between your teeth, particularly under the gumline. This can reduce your risk of gum disease and should be practiced especially when you have braces, since it’s more difficult to get around the wires than normal. Make sure to use a threader to clean underneath your wires!
Tool #5: Your Mirror
Effectively cleaning your teeth and braces would be extra difficult if you couldn’t see what you were doing. For this reason, a pocket mirror would be nifty if there were no walled mirrors around for you to use. Sometimes things can get stuck between the wires and you’ll want to clear it out at a moment’s notice, so a useful mirror could save you the trouble. If you don’t have a small mirror, you could also use the camera on your smart phone for a selfie!
Anything that can help you keep your teeth and braces clean of debris—no matter the place—is a great tool to have. If you’re not sure where you can get these items, you can always ask your dentist for professional insight.
About the Practice
Rauchberg Dental Group is home to a team of specialists that offer a variety of dental services to smiles of all ages in Parsippany and the surrounding communities. With high-quality and comfortable dental care in mind, your team can help you get the straight teeth you want and tell you the best tools to maintain them. If you want to know more about the best tools for cleaning with metal braces, visit their website or call (973) 718-9887.