Hygiene
Cleaning
Teeth with braces require extra special care. Dirty mouths lead to tooth decay, bleeding gums and bad breath. To prevent that from occurring when wearing your braces you will need to become an excellent tooth-brusher and flosser. You need to brush at least twice per day (after breakfast and dinner) and at least rinse after lunch if you are unable to brush at that time. You will also need to avoid a surgery diet. Dr Lester will straighten your teeth but it is your responsibility to clean them thoroughly. This will take extra time - at least three minutes - which you can easily check with an egg timer. Always use a fluoride toothpaste and aim to clean the braces, the teeth and the gums. Ideally you should finish with floss or toothpicks to get to the areas that brushing alone cannot reach.
Toothbrushing
Angle the toothbrush bristles 45 degrees to the gum line and jiggle the toothbrush for 10 seconds per tooth to massage and clean the gum line first. Next clean your braces and then behind the wires as you slowly work around the entire arch. Also remember to clean the inside surfaces of your teeth, down to the gum line around your entire mouth. It is important to pay special attention to cleaning behind the brackets and wires to remove all traces of food and plaque. Finally rinse and carefully check in a mirror, your braces and teeth should now be clean and shiny.
Flossing
It is very important to clean the areas of your mouth that the toothbrush cannot reach. It is a fiddly process but well worth the effort which is best done at night after dinner. Start by threading the floss underneath the archwire, then firmly grasp both ends of the floss and sliding it down in between the contact points of the teeth into the gum sulcus. Gently move the floss up and down, in and out to remove the plaque out of these areas. When you have cleaned both sides of the teeth forming the contact point, remove the floss and sequentially work your way around the entire mouth.