Wearing braces or clear aligners is a transformative step towards a straighter, more confident smile. Although the prospect of perfectly aligned teeth is a strong motivator, it also introduces new challenges for your daily oral care routine.

Both wires and brackets of braces and aligners can trap food particles and plaque, highlighting the importance of thorough cleaning to maintain oral hygiene. For these reasons, mastering how to maintain oral hygiene with braces and clear aligners is a crucial aspect of your orthodontic journey.

How Do Braces & Clear Aligners Affect Oral Health?

With braces and clear aligners becoming increasingly popular among adults, it is more important than ever to understand their role in long-term dental well-being, which goes far beyond just aesthetics.

By gradually moving your teeth into their correct positions, braces and clear aligners help to create a smile that is easier to clean, which in turn reduces the risk of decay and gum disease. A properly aligned bite also offers other benefits, such as a decreased risk of tooth chipping, breaking, and unnecessary jaw strain.

What is Oral Hygiene?

Oral hygiene involves all the habits and practices you adopt to keep your mouth, teeth, and gums in good health. For it to truly help your oral health, it must be a routine you commit to daily, especially with the added complexity of braces and clear aligners.

Why is Oral Hygiene Crucial, Especially with Braces or Clear Aligners?

With braces, your teeth become more susceptible to plaque buildup. This is because the brackets and wires create small spaces that can trap food debris, and if not properly cleaned, these can lead to poor oral hygiene and a host of dental problems. Similarly, with clear aligners, food can get stuck between the aligners and your teeth if you don't brush and floss before putting them back in.

Without a meticulous daily routine, you face an increased risk of developing tooth decay, gum inflammation (gingivitis), and white spots on your teeth, which are early signs of demineralisation. 

How to Maintain Oral Hygiene With Braces or Clear Aligners?

To navigate this challenge successfully, your oral hygiene routine needs to be comprehensive, and this should include a combination of:

  • Diligent brushing
  • Specialised flossing
  • Regular rinsing with mouthwash
  • Clean your removable dental appliances daily using tablets like our RetainerClean Fast Cleaning Tablets
  • Consistent visits to both your orthodontist and dentist

How Often Should You Brush Your Teeth with Braces or Clear Aligners?

It is generally a good idea to brush your teeth after each meal and before bed, aiming for at least three times a day. Brushing this frequently helps remove food debris before it has a chance to turn into plaque and accumulate around your brackets and wires. 

As for those wearing clear aligners, make sure to remove them before brushing your teeth, and clean them separately using dental cleaning tablets to prevent food particles from getting trapped against your teeth after putting them on.

Mastering Brushing and Flossing with Braces

To master braces care, you will need to adapt your techniques and choose the right tools for the job. Your routine should focus on:

1. Choosing the Right Toothbrush

For braces, a soft, round-bristled toothbrush is the best choice, whether you opt for a manual or electric model. The soft bristles are essential for cleaning around brackets and wires without causing damage or irritating your gums. Additionally, the toothbrush head should be small enough to help you manoeuvre easily around each bracket and reach those tight spots at the back of your mouth.

An ideal option is our BrushCare Ortho Soft Toothbrush featuring V-shaped bristles tailored for cleaning around brackets and other orthodontic appliances like permanent retainers. Furthermore, its soft, microfine bristles with polished, end-rounded tips gently remove plaque from small spaces and gum pockets, while the slim, long neck helps you reach all tooth surfaces with ease.

Alternatively, our InterSpace Brush features a tapered head that can easily reach tight gaps and spaces, helping to remove stubborn plaque and food particles. Meanwhile, its handle's thumb rest area makes it easy to manoeuvre, giving you better access to hard-to-reach spots.

As for those who prefer an electric model, the Pearlie White Sonic Electric Toothbrush is a great choice. Producing up to 43,000 vibrations per minute, this toothbrush creates high-frequency bristle actions and cleaning fluids that help to remove plaque and bacteria from teeth and gums. Plus, it helps dislodge food particles and clean around brackets and wires without the need for aggressive brushing.

2. Selecting the Right Toothpaste

Choose a toothpaste with a fluoride content above 1000 ppm, as this amount of fluoride helps strengthen your enamel and prevent cavities.

But for those experiencing discomfort or sensitivity, a toothpaste with desensitising ingredients like our Advanced Sensitive Fluoride Toothpaste can help provide relief. This product is formulated with Potassium Nitrate to help relieve and guard against tooth sensitivity. It also contains CPC, Fluoride, and Xylitol to help prevent tooth decay and reinforce your tooth enamel. Furthermore, it is enhanced with natural extracts such as Chamomile, Cinnamon, Echinacea, Honeysuckle, Liquorice, Myrrh, and Sage, which are known to help combat plaque-forming bacteria and promote better oral health.

Another option is our Optimal A.R.T. Active Remineralization Toothpaste. This toothpaste is formulated with hydroxyapatite to help repair demineralised enamel, Xylitol that raises the pH of your saliva to support the remineralisation process, and Aloe to help soothe sensitive teeth and gums. Beyond its remineralising properties, this toothpaste features CPC to help fight plaque-forming bacteria and Calcium Carbonate to gently remove stains.

3. Rinsing with Mouthwash

Mouthwash is a supportive step that reaches areas that your toothbrush and floss might miss. To give your teeth and gums more protection, consider rinsing with a fluoride mouthwash after brushing, and at least once a day at night.

For gum care products that are gentle on your mouth, Pearlie White offers a variety of alcohol-free mouthwashes, such as our Fluorinze Anti-bacterial Fluoride Mouth Rinse. This product is formulated with Sodium Fluoride (500ppm) and Xylitol to help combat tooth decay and strengthen tooth enamel. It also contains CPC to help fight bacteria that can cause plaque, cavities, and bad breath.

4. Leveraging Effective Flossing Techniques for Braces

To further help you remove plaque and food particles trapped between your teeth and under the archwire, you can use:

  • Floss Threaders: These are small, plastic loops that help you guide regular floss under the archwire. For a hassle-free experience, opt for our FlossCare™ Floss Threaders With Storage Case, designed to be thin and pliable to fit in tight gaps without breaking. It also comes with a case so you can conveniently bring it with you anywhere you go.
  • Super Floss: This specialised floss is designed for braces, bridges, and larger gaps. It features a stiffened end that acts as a threader, a spongy middle section for cleaning around dental work, and a regular floss end for traditional use between teeth. Alternatively, our FlossCare Hi-Tech Waxed Mint Floss is an extra-stiff and antibacterial floss, helping to combat bacteria between your teeth and gums. It slips easily between teeth without fraying or snapping, and its stretch-resistant quality means it will not slip off floss holders during use.
  • Interdental Brushes: These brushes can be used to clean between teeth and around brackets. Our Compact Interdental Brushes are made for this purpose, featuring extra soft bristles and an anti-sensitivity coated stem for a gentle but thorough cleaning that’s kind to sensitive teeth and gums. Also, each brush comes with a cap that can also extend the handle for better reach.

If you find traditional flossing difficult, our Portable Water Flosser is a convenient option. Using water pressure to clean around and between braces, it reaches spaces that your toothbrush may miss. It features three water jet modes to suit different needs: a Gentle Mode for sensitive teeth and first-time users, a Pulse Mode for daily cleaning and gum massage, and a Strong Mode for a more thorough clean.

Step-by-Step Oral Hygiene Routine with Braces or Clear Aligners

Following a consistent routine is key to taking care of your teeth while wearing braces or clear aligners and maintaining your oral health.

1. For Braces and Aligners: Brushing Your Teeth

  • Rinse First: Begin by rinsing your mouth with water to dislodge any loose food particles.
  • Brush at the Gumline: Angle your toothbrush at 45 degrees towards the gumline and use small, circular motions to clean the area.
  • Clean Above and Below Brackets: Next, angle the brush from above to clean the top of the brackets and the wire for those wearing braces, then angle it from below to clean the bottom of the brackets and the wire.
  • Brush all Surfaces: Make sure to clean all tooth surfaces—the outside, the inside, and the chewing surfaces.
  • Take Your Time: Spend at least two minutes brushing to ensure you cover every area thoroughly.

2. For Braces: Flossing Effectively

  • Use a Floss Threader: Take a floss threader or specialised floss, and pass it under the archwire.
  • Thread the Floss: Pull the floss through the loop and gently guide it between your teeth.
  • Clean and Repeat: Move the floss up and down carefully to clean the side of each tooth and gently along the gumline. Repeat for every tooth.

3. For Braces and Aligners: Inspecting Your Teeth and Dental Appliances

After brushing and flossing, inspect your teeth and braces in the mirror or clear aligners thoroughly before putting them back on. Look for any remaining food particles and plaque that you might have missed. 

For those with braces, this is also an opportunity to identify any loose or broken brackets or wires, so you can contact your orthodontist promptly to prevent any potential delays in your treatment.

4. For Braces: Using Wax for Comfort

If your bracket or wire is causing irritation, such as when a sharp piece rubs against the soft tissue of your mouth, an orthodontic wax can offer relief. Simply take a small piece of our Dental / Orthodontic Wax, shape it into a ball, and gently press it over the source of the discomfort to create a smooth surface and comfortable barrier.

Essential Oral Hygiene Tips for Those Wearing Braces or Aligners

Beyond the daily routine, these tips can further support your oral health throughout your orthodontic journey of wearing braces, aligners or other dental appliances.

1. Smart Snacking Habits

Sugary snacks and drinks can lead to increased acid production, which is harmful to enamel. It is best to limit these items and, when you do indulge, consume them after a meal, followed by immediate brushing. 

For a healthy alternative, consider fresh fruits and vegetables to keep your teeth and gums happy. For example, crisp fruits and raw vegetables, such as apples, carrots, and celery, can help clean your teeth by scrubbing away plaque and freshening your breath. Many of these foods are also rich in antioxidant vitamins like Vitamin C, which helps protect the gums from damage and infection.

2. Maintaining Your Toothbrush

Braces can cause your toothbrush bristles to wear out more quickly. It is therefore important to change your toothbrush or toothbrush head every three months, or as soon as the bristles become frayed. 

3. The Importance of Regular Dental Visits

Even with your routine orthodontic appointments, visiting your dentist for professional cleanings at least every six months is an important part of your clear aligners or braces care. During these visits, your dentist can remove plaque and tartar from hard-to-reach places and monitor your overall oral health.

4. Addressing Oral Hygiene Lapses

Neglecting your oral care can lead to plaque buildup, tooth staining, and gum infections, all of which can potentially delay the successful completion of your orthodontic treatment. If you happen to miss a brushing or flossing session, make sure to resume your oral hygiene habits as soon as you can.

Pearlie White: Your Oral Care Partner Throughout Your Braces & Aligners Journey

Navigating your braces or aligners journey requires dedication to a new oral hygiene routine, and having the right products makes all the difference. Pearlie White offers a comprehensive range of oral care solutions designed to be gentle yet supportive, from our specialised orthodontic toothbrushes to alcohol-free mouthwashes, helping you take care of your oral health while wearing orthodontic treatment appliances like braces or aligners.

Explore Pearlie White's complete oral care product range today and find the perfect tools to support your transformation while wearing braces or aligners.