BRUSHING AND FLOSSING
Food particles and plaque naturally accumulate on the teeth
and on braces. This process could lead to tooth decay and/or gum disease.
Proper oral hygiene is vital to prevent these problems from occurring
during your orthodontic treatment. The extra effort you give to keep your
teeth, braces and gums clean and healthy will result in a much better
orthodontic outcome.
BRUSHING
Dr. Eichel recommends that you use a soft bristled
toothbrush with moderate force and a toothpaste that contains fluoride.
Place the toothbrush at an angle so that you feel the bristles
under your gum line and use small circular motions. Completely
clean each surface of every tooth in your mouth, including the areas
above, below and between each brace. Each surface of every tooth
should be scrubbed with 10 strokes of the toothbrush. This should
take 2-3 minutes.
Dr. Eichel recommends that you brush at least
4 times per day: after breakfast, after lunch (or as soon as
you get home from school), after supper and at bedtime. Your
toothbrush will wear out faster because of your appliances, so be
sure to replace it whenever the bristles start to fray. Back to Top
1. Use a soft toothbrush with a small amount of
toothpaste. Completely clean each surface of every tooth in your mouth,
including the areas above, below and between each brace.
2. Use circular, vibrating motions around the
gum line. Scrub each surface of every tooth with 10 strokes of the
toothbrush. This should take 2-3 minutes.
3. Brush every tooth slowly. Brush the upper teeth
down.
4. Brush the lower teeth up. Also brush your tongue
and the roof of your mouth
Remember that a toothbrush might not reach the areas under
the archwire properly. Proper oral hygiene also involves flossing and
the use of an interdental toothbrush (Proxabrush), an antiseptic mouth
rinse (Peroxyl) and a topical fluoride (Perio-Med)!
Dr. Eichel also recommends electric toothbrush to facilitate oral hygiene.
Back to Top
FLOSSING
Dental floss is a nylon thread that is used to remove food
particles and plaque from between the teeth. Flossing is more difficult
when you have braces on your teeth. A floss threader may be needed to
get the floss under the archwire. The doctors will provide these for you
(note: floss threaders are reusable). Use a piece of floss about 12 inches
long. Use the floss threader to get the floss under the wire. Slide the
floss up and down along the tooth surface. When the tooth is clean the
floss will "squeak" as you slide it up and down along the tooth
surface. Be very careful to not pull with too much force on your archwire.
Flossing is important and should be done every day. The
best time to floss is before bedtime after brushing to remove the plaque
missed by brushing. This process will take more time than flossing without
braces. If your gums are not healthy, they may bleed the first few days
you floss. Remember that consistent brushing and flossing will result
in a great orthodontic smile! Back to Top
1. Carefully pull waxed floss between wire and
braces.
2. Floss carefully around the gum area.
INTERDENTAL
TOOTHBRUSH
An interdental toothbrush (Proxabrush) is another aid you
may find useful to keep your teeth, braces and gums clean and healthy.
It can be used to clean under orthodontic wires and around braces. Use
this device slowly so you do not damage your braces. Back to Top
ANTISEPTIC
MOUTH RINSE (PEROXYL)
Peroxyl is an antiseptic dental rinse (active ingredient:
hydrogen peroxide 1.5%) used in orthodontics to control minor gum
inflammation and irritations from orthodontic appliances. It is
also used to cleanse canker sores and minor wounds or other irritations
of the mouth and gums such as mouth burns, cheek bites and toothbrush
abrasions. Its oxygenating action removes debris allowing natural
healing to occur. Back to Top
ROTA-DENT
Dr. Eichel and his staff want you to be aware of the most important parts of caring for your braces is daily cleaning.
Your orthodontic appliances catch food, which if left on your teeth will turn into plaque. This plaque can cause bad breath and can lead to cavities and/or gingivitis.
Dr. Eichel and staff recommend the Rota-dent toothbrush. The Rota-dent replaces a manual toothbrush, floss, interproximal cleaners, and a toothpick. This is possible because each brush tip is made up of over 4,000 compact microfilaments that make 90,000 complete rotations per second. This is the perfect size for your teeth, and it allows for cleaning in hard to reachplaces.
FACT: A 36 month study concluded, "Twice daily use of Rota-dent and once daily use of flouride rinse is more effective for preventing decay during orthodontic treatment than either conventional tooth brushing or similar tooth brushing with once daily flouride rinse."
American Journal of Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics, 1994 Back to Top
FLUORIDE
A fluoride rinse, to be used daily, will aid in the protection against cavities. The formula you recieve from Dr. Eichel's office helps protect against decalcification.
Directions for use: once a day, at bedtime, after thoroghly brushing the teeth, pour a capful and rinse vigorously for one minute, then spit out. DO NOT SWALLOW. Please do not eat or drink for at least 30 minutes.
Pro-Dentex APF daily oral rinse has been shown to be an effective decay preventive rinse that can be of significant value when used regularly in conjunction with decay-preventative fluoride toothpaste in a conscientiously applied program of oral hygiene and regular professional care.
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CLEANING
A REMOVABLE APPLIANCE
All orthodontic appliances tend to accumulate food
particles and plaque just like teeth do. Every time you brush your
teeth, brush your removable appliance. Once a day you should soak
your appliance in a glass of room temperature tap water with a denture-cleaning
tablet, such as Polident or Efferdent. This will help prevent plaque
buildup and oral infections and will keep your appliance tasting
better. Back to Top
