Braces work 24/7, so daily care matters as much as the appointments. Plaque and food collect around brackets faster than around bare teeth – keeping the area spotless protects your teeth and keeps your treatment on track.
Quick reference
- Brush after every meal. Use a soft-bristle brush angled at 45 degrees to clean around each bracket – above, below, and on every side.
- An interdental brush (a tiny bottle-brush shape) cleans under the wire and between brackets where a regular brush cannot reach.
- Floss daily using a floss threader, Super Floss, or a water flosser. Five minutes of floss now saves you from white spots and decay when the braces come off.
- Avoid hard, crunchy, sticky, and chewy foods – popcorn, hard candy, gum, caramel, ice, whole nuts. These break brackets and bend wires.
- Cut crunchy foods (apples, carrots, bagels) into small pieces and chew with your back teeth.
- If a wire pokes you, cover it with the orthodontic wax we gave you and call us so we can trim it at your next visit.
Call us if you have concerns. Call us at 519-944-5757 if a bracket comes off, a wire is poking and wax is not helping, or if you have severe pain that is not settling.
