Brushing and Flossing

When you have braces, it's very important to brush after every meal and floss daily in order to keep your teeth and gums healthy throughout your orthodontic treatment. If you need help choosing the right toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss, please ask us and we can help you choose the right products for your teeth and your appliance.

Brushing with Braces

Brush your teeth for four to six minutes three times each day (morning, afternoon, and night) with a soft-bristled, small-headed toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. As an alternative, you can use a powered toothbrush to increase your brushing effectiveness. Brush the outside and inside surfaces of your teeth using small, gentle, circular motions while positioning the head of the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to the gum line. Brush your teeth’s chewing surfaces and the inside surface of your front teeth using short, gentle, back-and-forth motions. Pay close attention to the areas around your brackets as well as the space between your braces and the gumline.

brushing with braces

Flossing with Braces

Flossing daily will help keep your teeth and braces clean, which will also help keep your treatment time on track. To floss with braces, use a floss threader or special orthodontic floss to thread the floss behind each wire. Wrap the ends of the floss around your pointer fingers of both hands, leaving a few inches of taught floss between them. Gently slide the floss between each set of teeth. Floss the sides of each tooth (in an up and down motion) beneath the gum line to remove plaque and food particles. Repeat this process until you’ve flossed all of your teeth. If you find that your floss is not removing all of the food particles between your teeth and around your braces, ask us about a water flosser!

flossing with braces

AAO Invisalign Damon Smile iTero

Patient Forms

Be sure to bring these with you to your first visit. This appointment will include a comprehensive examination that will allow us to recommend if and when treatment is necessary. It is also an opportunity for you to have questions answered, discuss any concerns, and meet our orthodontic team.

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