Oral hygiene

Dental hygiene is extremely important when wearing fixed braces. When you start wearing fixed braces, you may be afraid that brushing your teeth will damage the brackets and wires. However, there is no need to be afraid – the braces are designed to withstand teeth brushing without any problems.

Your primary task while wearing braces is to maintain a high level of oral hygiene. You should brush your teeth after every meal, ideally with special orthodontic interdental brushes, floss specifically designed for fixed braces, and rinse with dental irrigators. Fortunately, brushing your teeth is no harder when you have braces. The only difference is that you may need to change your toothbrush more often because it will wear out faster. Using dental floss will come in handy for cleaning food around the brackets and under the wire, which is somewhat more demanding because it requires greater precision. You need to clean your teeth, gums, and brackets with careful and gentle movements.

The best toothbrush is the one that is used!

You can use your favourite toothbrush, even an electric one. Toothpaste with a higher percentage of fluoride would be desirable as a treatment, but it is not necessary throughout the braces therapy. An interdental toothbrush also facilitates cleaning around the braces but not between teeth.

Cleaning between teeth with an interdental toothbrush is prohibited in orthodontic therapy, especially in the aesthetic zone of the front teeth because the aggressive metal part within the interdental toothbrush causes gum recession. In addition, it leaves black holes between the teeth after orthodontic treatment. A better option is a water flosser, which is most often used before bedtime, after brushing.

Water jets, interdental brushes, toothbrushes, and dental floss are all terms that make hygiene impeccable, and none of these things are the same and serve different purposes.

Our staff will pay special attention to each of our patients during the examination, called hygiene and prophylaxis, which will provide instructions and the best individual solution for maintaining oral hygiene.

Since you will have reduced chewing function due to the avoidance of hard food, it is necessary to pay more attention to the gums. To compensate for the natural massage of the gums provided by chewing, prolong the brushing time along the tooth and gum line, and you can use a softer brush for this area. Do not ignore bleeding during brushing and be sure to contact your orthodontist so they can react in time.

In the therapy of fixed braces, avoid using mouthwash because some of them can cause tooth discoloration due to difficulty brushing and the constant presence of a thin layer of plaque. That layer is coloured, and the teeth become olive-coloured. Never use mouthwash until you have thoroughly and mechanically cleaned your teeth. Only liquid strictly recommended by the orthodontist is allowed.

Dental calculus can be removed normally by a dentist and during the wearing of braces and our recommendation for cleaning, sandblasting, and polishing is at least once every six months during orthodontic treatment. Due to the presence of plaque around the braces and the accumulation of calculus, the brackets often cannot be open with the clip when replacing the wires in therapy. Cleaning must be done before removing the brackets because it is impossible to glue the fixed retainer to the recently cleaned calculus due to increased bleeding. This must be done a few days earlier.

In case oral hygiene is not impeccable and you consume more food with sugar, it can lead to the occurrence of cavities and/or the formation of mineralization on teeth, i.e. white spots that every orthodontist takes care of. If you notice them yourself, inform your orthodontist so they can react in time.