How to Maintain Oral Hygiene With Braces

Author : Sevoke Dental | Published On : 30 May 2026

Dental health is very important in everybody’s life, but it acquires extra importance in case you put on yourself braces. Braces have shown their effectiveness in dealing with tooth misalignments issues as well as giving you a beautiful smile, but simultaneously, braces create some space which may be occupied by leftover food and plaque. The lack of oral hygiene may cause tooth decay, gum diseases, bad breath, as well as discoloration on the bracket area.

Regardless of whether you are a young person getting themselves orthodontic appliances or an adult trying to make their teeth healthier, the information about how you should provide high quality oral hygiene while having braces will help you greatly. In this article, you will learn how to do that.

Why Oral Hygiene Is More Important With Braces

Components of braces include brackets, wires, and bands, which have the tendency to catch particles of food and bacteria. Braces differ from normal teeth because they are harder to keep clean than natural teeth since there is more surface area where plaque can accumulate.

Consequences of poor dental hygiene during orthodontic care include:

Cavities
Bleeding gums
Discoloration of teeth
Bad breath
Long orthodontic care duration

By practicing proper dental care habits, all these complications can be avoided.

Brush Your Teeth After Every Meal

Some of the techniques that one can adopt to maintain their oral hygiene when they have braces involve brushing of teeth after every meal since food particles will get attached to the braces, hence providing an environment for bacterial growth.

Correct Brushing Techniques

In case one is using brushes to clean their teeth when they have braces on them, then the following should be done:

The brush should be soft.
Holding the brush should be at 45 degrees to the gums.
Brushing should be done above and under the braces.
Brushing should be done on the surface and sides of your teeth.
Brushing should take about two minutes.

One can also use electric toothbrushes since they help in brushing consistently.

Floss Daily for Better Oral Hygiene

Flossing while wearing braces is difficult, but an important step to ensure that one practices good dental hygiene. Food particles and plaque tend to stick between the teeth areas which brushes cannot easily access.

How to Floss Your Teeth With Braces

You should try using orthodontic floss threaders.
Using orthodontic floss may prove helpful.
One may use water flossers to remove debris near brackets.
It is recommended to floss daily.

Flossing will minimize gum disease and cavity development among other benefits.

Use an Antibacterial Mouthwash

The addition of antibacterial mouth rinse will certainly enhance the level of cleanliness in your mouth. Mouth rinse gets to places where brushing and flossing cannot reach.

Advantages of mouth rinse are:

Decreasing plaque
Antibacterial effects
Improving breath odour
Improving gum health

Select an alcohol-free mouth rinse in case of sensitive gums or dryness during the process of treatment.

Watch What You Eat

Diet becomes extremely important when you are wearing braces to keep your mouth clean. Some food items can be harmful and affect the brackets or wires and even increase plaque.

Food You Shouldn’t Eat

Some of the foods you should avoid are as follows:

Sweets and sticky foods
Chewing gums and caramels
Hard nuts
Popcorns
Ice cubes
Hard candies