Bracket system (orthodontic brackets) is a complex non-removable design for correcting irregularities of the tooth row. This is the most effective remedy for bite problems. These corrective devices are set for 2–3 years, so any person to whom they have been put must necessarily learn in detail how to brush their teeth with braces. If you do not carry out timely procedures for the care of the oral cavity, the result of the correction may be far from desired.
Content
Care features
After placing braces for some time, the patient may feel discomfort in the mouth. These feelings pass as they become accustomed to a foreign body. The more complex procedures for keeping the oral cavity clean remain unchanged.
It is not recommended to use usual methods and devices for cleaning braces. Toothbrush standard configuration is not able to eliminate foreign bodies in hard to reach areas of the structure. As a result, a plaque is formed around the plates, and caries may subsequently develop.
It is necessary to clean and refresh the oral cavity more often than before the installation of the system. Otherwise, between the elements of the structure remains of food accumulate and microorganisms begin to actively proliferate. This leads to the appearance of inflammatory processes in the oral cavity. Periodontitis is considered to be the most typical disease in violation of the rules for braces.
It is important! In cases where it is not possible to thoroughly brush your teeth (lunch in a cafe or in the school canteen), it is recommended to rinse your mouth with warm water or a special tool sold in pharmacies. Upon arrival home immediately need to carry out a comprehensive cleaning.
What to avoid
In order not to damage braces during the correction period, you will have to not only change the oral care, but also abandon certain products and habits. Usually, during installation, the orthodontist voiced a list of undesirable products and factors. It varies depending on the type of installed design.
Metal braces are considered the most resistant. Plastic and sapphire designs from the effects of negative factors can change color, wear off and peel off from the tooth.
It is important! Most often, damage to one element leads to a violation of the treatment process. In this case, you should visit the doctor as soon as possible and restore the integrity of the structure. Re-gluing one element is not difficult, but it will take a long time to make a failed staple. As a result, the term of wearing the structure increases.
Prohibited factors when wearing braces
View | Name |
Solid products | Tough meat |
Raw carrot | |
Apples | |
Pears | |
The nuts | |
Chips | |
Popcorn | |
Viscous products | Toffee |
Candies | |
Marshmallow | |
Paste | |
Gum | |
Halva | |
Temperature difference | Cold or hot meals or drinks |
Coloring matter | Coffee |
Tea | |
Berries | |
Wine | |
Beet | |
Nicotine | |
Juices bright color | |
Jelly |
Vegetables and fruits with a firm structure can be eaten if they are chopped beforehand with a grater or blender.
How often to brush your teeth
To protect the tooth enamel from the appearance of dark spots and carious areas around the braces, it is recommended to brush your teeth at least 3 times a day. Procedures should be carried out within 15 minutes after a meal.
Effective brushing with braces requires more time than a regular procedure. The process takes place in several stages and takes about 10 minutes.
In addition to regular home procedures, the oral cavity with braces needs more frequent professional cleaning from a dentist. If at the usual time it is held once every six months, then during the wearing of corrective braces it is recommended to perform such manipulations every 1 - 3 months.
Tools and care products
Staples and clasps on the teeth are not so easy to clear from stuck food, because the location of the bristles of a conventional toothbrush does not allow them to penetrate between the elements of the system and effectively clean the mouth.
For effective care of teeth with an installed bracket system, special devices are used:
- Orthodontic brush;
- Monopuchkovy brush;
- Yorshik;
- Floss (dental floss);
- Irrigator.
Also need cleaning products:
- Toothpaste;
- Foam for cleaning the bracket system;
- Gel;
- Mouthwash.
Orthodontic brush
In contrast to the classical toothbrush, in the orthodontic center, the central part of the bristles is slightly shortened. From the butt in shape, they resemble the Latin letter V. With the help of such a groove, it is possible to simultaneously clean both the bracket and the surface of the tooth.
When purchasing a brush, devices with soft bristles and a small head should be preferred (the maximum size should not exceed 3 cm). Hard villi can damage both the enamel and the installed structure. The big head reduces maneuverability and, as a result, cleaning quality.
Monopuchkovaya brush
It is a curved G-shaped handle with a small head and a tuft of bristles at the end. During the cleaning of the bristles, the monopuchy brushes cover the area around the tooth neck. Such a device allows you to clean each tooth individually, even in hard-to-reach places, preventing the appearance of plaque.
The use of a monopucci brush significantly improves the quality of tooth brushing and is a good prophylactic against the development of interdental caries.
It is important! During the period of wearing braces it is not recommended to use electric and ultrasonic brushes. They can damage the structure and cause the system to peel off the surface of the tooth.
Yorshik
The device allows you to qualitatively remove food debris under the staples, between the teeth and around the plates. This is a small device, shaped like a bottle brush, but in a much smaller version. On the thin base there are short bristles with a length from 1 to 3 mm. The form distinguishes three types of brushes:
- Cylindrical;
- Conical;
- Curved.
Conical and curved brushes are best for cleaning braces. In the first embodiment, the bristles are shortest at the end and gradually elongate as they approach the base. In the second case, the working surface is located at an angle to the holder. This feature allows you to penetrate into hard-to-reach parts of the structure.
Video: Brushing your teeth with interdental braces
Dental floss
Floss is a special thread that allows you to clean the space between the teeth. It is made of different thickness, which allows you to choose the material for the individual anatomical features of the jaw structure.
To care for teeth with braces, they mainly use superfloss - a thread with rigid ends.
Waxed and unwaxed threads are available. For cleaning braces better suited first. They easily slide between teeth, do not cling to structural elements. Using unwaxed floss when caring for braces is permissible, but requires certain skills. In addition, the procedure takes more time.
It is important! Flossing should be done carefully, as the thread can damage the gums.
Video: Technology using superflossom
Irrigator
This device removes food debris using a pressurized flow of water. Simultaneously with the cleaning, the gums are massaged.
The water pressure can be independently adjusted from 0.7 to 4.8 bar.
The unit can work in different modes:
- Constant;
- Throbbing;
- Centered;
- Sprayed.
There are portable and stationary irrigators. The first ones are small in size, run on batteries, and have a limited amount of water that needs to be replenished periodically. These devices are small in size, you can take them with you when you go to a restaurant, it is easy to use in the bathroom.
Stationary irrigators are often large, connected to the network and water supply. The amount of fluid in them is unlimited, the range of adjustments and the number of nozzles are expanded.
Irrigators are comfortable, hygienic and effective, but they are not able to completely replace brushing your teeth. They are used as an aid to oral care.
Toothpastes
Dentists do not prohibit the use of ordinary toothpastes when wearing braces. Recommend only to avoid in the first weeks of funds containing large amounts of fluoride and calcium. Subsequently, after the adaptation of the protective enamel to the structure, it is permissible to use fluorine-containing pastes to strengthen the teeth.
It is important! During the period of wearing braces, it is recommended to apply pastes with enzymes. They are able to break down food debris, prevent the appearance of bacteria and harmful microorganisms.
Foams and gels
After brushing your teeth, a small amount of toothpaste can remain between the structural elements and gradually damage it. To avoid this, you can use gels and foams, designed for cleaning braces. They have a lighter structure, quite effectively take care of the tooth enamel and do not stay on the details of the structure.
Conditioners
Special mouthwash should be used when wearing braces. It gives freshness to breathing and kills germs in the mouth. Rinse is not used as a separate tool, but in a comprehensive care.
Teeth cleaning with braces
In the period of bite correction using conventional cleaning braces is not enough. Even if an orthodontic brush and special pastes are used for the procedure, it is almost impossible to remove all the dirt from the structural elements. To clean the teeth with braces fixed on them only with complex procedures.
Gradually apply all devices to process each tooth separately.
Step 1. Brush cleaning:
- Remove all removable components.
- Apply a small amount of toothpaste (no more than a pea) on moistened bristles.
- Process the upper jaw with horizontal translation along the arc. Avoid excessive pressure on the brush, so as not to injure the gums.
- Manipulations repeat on the lower jaw.
Step 2. Monopuchkovaya brush:
- Place the brush under the bracket bracket and carefully rub locks and arcs in a circular motion.
- Move the brush head to the inner surface of the dentition and process each tooth individually.
- Use a sweeping motion to clean the space between the teeth and the gingival sulcus.
- Do the same on the outside of the dentition.
Step 3. Cleaning with a brush:
- Place the working surface of the brush between the teeth and the arcs at the bottom.
- Move the food up and down.
- Repeat the procedure for each tooth.
Step 4. Using floss:
- Cut the thread 30–40 cm long.
- Thread through the arch of the bracket.
- Place it in the gap between the teeth.
- Output the tip on the other side of the tooth so that the thread covers it from the inside.
- Hold both ends firmly with your fingers and move the thread back and forth.
- After releasing one end, gently pull the thread over the other.
- Treat all teeth consistently.
It is important! Pulling the thread, try not to hurt the braces, because the metal structure can break the floss.
Step 5. Irrigator cleaning:
- Install the nozzle on the machine.
- Connect it to the water system or fill the tank with water.
- It is recommended to add a little rinse into the water.
- Set the average water pressure.
- Turn on the machine and process each tooth for 10 seconds.
Step 6. Rinsing:
- It is better to use a special fluoride rinse diluted with water.
- Take a small amount of liquid in your mouth.
- Actively move it in the mouth.
- Spit it out.
Video: comprehensive teeth cleaning with a bracket system
Professional cleaning
While wearing braces, the process of natural cleansing of tooth enamel with saliva is disturbed. Even with high-quality self-cleaning using all recommended means, it is not always possible to completely get rid of the raid. The bacteria living in it, form around themselves an acidic environment, gradually softening the enamel, which in this state gradually loses the necessary minerals and is destroyed.
After removing the braces in areas damaged by bacteria, white spots remain, which will eventually turn into deep caries. To prevent problems after correction with the bracket system, you need to regularly clean the teeth with a professional tool using special materials in the dental office.
Before the procedure, the dentist applies a special composition to the surface of the teeth. It stains blue fresh bloom, in purple - old. In addition, this procedure helps the specialist to assess the area of the lesion and select the type of cleaning, according to its results, the dentist adjusts home procedures for the patient.
Depending on the type of plaque, the doctor selects a cleaning method. For this can be used:
- Ultrasonic cleaning;
- Using a professional irrigator and water with soda;
- Laser;
- Chemical.
Most often used an integrated approach. With the help of an aqueous solution, eliminate soft plaque. Then use ultrasound or a laser to combat solid deposits. If necessary, polished teeth with special cleaning pastes.
In some cases, remineralization is performed at the final stage. To do this, a composition that enriches the enamel with the necessary substances is placed in a special cap. The device is put on the teeth and left for 15–20 minutes.
Correctly performed tooth care manipulations with a corrective design guarantee a beautiful and healthy smile in the future. Wearing braces involves certain difficulties when brushing your teeth, but they get used to them during the first month.
If the correction process regularly violates the rules of nutrition and hygiene, instead of a beautiful range of teeth, you can get a number of problems and long-term treatment at the dentist.