The ABCs of Braces: Proper Care and Cleaning

You’re about to eat a delicious meal and you have braces Haven. What do you do? Do you let your teeth get all grimy with food, or do you go through the effort of cleaning them every night before bed?

After eating a meal with food stuck between your teeth or around any brackets/bands on your braces: it is important not to brush immediately after because this can damage them – instead take out floss (we recommend waxed threader floss) and slide it up underneath all four sides of each tooth making sure none are missed. Follow by brushing over the top surface of all teeth gently to make sure no other bits remain behind. Be careful when brushing near metal wires as these may become bent due to the force.

If your braces are still brand new and haven’t had time to get stained with food, then you can brush them after eating normally but try not to let bits of food stick around for too long between meals – if they do get really bad before next brushing it is recommended that you don’t eat anything sticky/tough like an apple or steak.

Also, try not to eat too many sugary foods/drinks which are known for staining teeth. A good way of avoiding this is by using a straw or rinsing your mouth out after eating anything that may result in staining (tea, coffee etc).

Last but not least it’s also worth remembering don’t drink through a sports bottle with the spout facing your braces – these can be extra damaging because they trap crud under them every time you take a sip and increase chances of getting discolouration on metal wires.

The best thing you can do if already stained then use whitening toothpaste over all surfaces twice daily until gone. If still there after two weeks talk to an orthodontist about bleaching treatment possibilities.