Oral Hygiene during Orthodontic treatment

Maintaining good oral hygiene is vitally important during orthodontic treatment, and is essential in preventing cavities, gingivitis, and periodontal disease. Regular visits to your general dentist every 3-6 months during orthodontic treatment is fundamental in sustaining healthy teeth and gums. Dental hygienists can remove hardened deposits which are not removed during regular cleaning.

Why floss?

Flossing is a vital part of any oral hygiene routine, and is essential in maintaining a health mouth -However, many people don’t realize the importance of flossing. Flossing in designed to clean in between your teeth and beneath the gums—areas that cannot always be adequately cleaned just by brushing. By flossing, you are removing plaque—a sticky substance that forms on and in between the teeth. Brushing removes plaque from the surfaces of the teeth, however only flossing can remove plaque that accumulates in between the teeth. If plaque is not removed, it combines with the sugars and starches of the foods we eat to produce an acid that attacks tooth.

Manual or electric?

Independent research has found that most electric toothbrushes are no more effective than manual toothbrushes. Of course—the comparison   assumes that people using a manual toothbrush will brush properly.

Dr Duncan recommends electric toothbrushes for some younger patients with braces because:

• Most electric toothbrushes have a timer to ensure you brush for the correct amount of time
• It's just a matter of pressing the toothbrush to each tooth and gum area and letting the electric toothbrush do the rest

Some people prefer manual toothbrushes because they feel they have better control of what they’re doing. So, there is no right or wrong answer—it all comes down to preference! Just remember these important steps while brushing and your teeth will continue to sparkle:

• Gently brush the gum line - this is very important to maintain a healthy mouth
• Focus on one tooth at a time, using small, gentle circles
• Brush for no less than 2 minutes at a time
• Soft bristles are the way to go because hard bristles can wear away the gums causing them to recede