{"id":754,"date":"2021-04-12T02:33:29","date_gmt":"2021-04-12T02:33:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drzmackie.com\/?p=754"},"modified":"2021-05-17T18:52:47","modified_gmt":"2021-05-17T18:52:47","slug":"how-to-keep-your-teeth-and-braces-clean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drzmackie.com\/?p=754","title":{"rendered":"How to keep your teeth and braces clean"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Getting braces is a very exciting time.&nbsp; It\u2019s the start of your journey to a better smile and a healthy bite.&nbsp; Now more than ever, it is very important to stay on top of your oral hygiene care.&nbsp; This is because the brackets and wires of braces make keeping your teeth clean very challenging.&nbsp; The brackets have tiny slots which can be a plaque trap.&nbsp; And the wires make flossing cumbersome.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even though it requires additional work and time, having an oral hygiene routine is critical in maintaining&nbsp;healthy teeth.&nbsp; It\u2019s easy to develop cavities and puffy gums during braces treatment.&nbsp; And poor oral hygiene during braces is what leads to white spots after braces.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Luckily, there are many tools to help keep your braces and teeth clean.&nbsp; Here&nbsp;are&nbsp;my favorites:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Electric Toothbrush\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An electric&nbsp;toothbrush is a great way to remove plaque off your gums, braces and teeth.&nbsp; You simply have to guide the toothbrush along your gumline and teeth for effective plaque removal.&nbsp; It takes the guesswork out of&nbsp;whethere&nbsp;you are brushing too hard or too soft.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Travel Toothbrush\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It will be important to brush after your meals to prevent food from building up around your brackets.&nbsp; A small travel toothbrush is a great option to have in your bag when you are on the go.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Floss Threader and Floss\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The wire in braces makes flossing challenging. It\u2019s physically in the way blocking you from going in between your teeth.&nbsp; But this doesn\u2019t mean we should skip flossing. A floss threader is a great tool to use. It carries the floss behind the wire so that you can reach your teeth.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Platypus Flosser<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the floss threader feels like too much work for you, there is a single use platypus flosser instead.&nbsp; This is flat enough to reach under the arch wire.&nbsp; It has a built-in floss in it which you then use to get in between your teeth.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Water Flosser\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Water flosser is a great tool to use during braces.&nbsp; It flushes off plaque from your teeth and gums. I don\u2019t recommend substituting this for regular flossing.&nbsp; It\u2019s still important to get in between the teeth and under the gums to remove plaque.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Fluoride Mouthwash\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fluoride Mouthwash is a great way to keep the outer surface of your teeth strong and resistant to cavities.&nbsp; It\u2019s also a great way to rinse off plaque from your teeth.&nbsp; It\u2019s best to use this after brushing and flossing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Getting braces is a very exciting time.&nbsp; It\u2019s the start of your journey to a better smile and a healthy bite.&nbsp; Now more than ever,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20,1],"tags":[8,59,56,58,57],"class_list":["post-754","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-braces","category-cosmetic-dentistry","tag-braces","tag-brushing-with-braces","tag-clean-braces","tag-flossing-with-braces","tag-water-flosser"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.7 - 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