Beautiful and straight teeth, which are the most important component of a person’s attractive smile, indicate not only his self-confidence, but also the health of his teeth. Not everyone is lucky enough to have such teeth from birth, but existing defects can be corrected in almost any case with the help of braces. True, you cannot limit yourself to just installing the system; it requires appropriate care, in particular, you will need to perform certain actions, including a toothbrush for braces. It differs from its counterpart in normal mode, since it is designed to solve quite specific problems; the features of its use and other subtleties will be discussed below.
Adaptation period
Getting used to the system and the devices used to care for it will take some time. While adaptation continues, the patient will have to experience some discomfort when eating, and he will also have certain problems with diction, but there is no need to be afraid and despair, such troubles will be overcome quite quickly.
On average, an adult will need no more than 10 days to get used to it; a teenager or young man will need even less, a maximum of a week. Painful sensations may not necessarily occur only in the teeth that experience pressure from the plates; often the gums also experience discomfort. If adaptation is very difficult, then the dentist may, at the patient’s request, slightly weaken the system so that the painful sensations are not too strong; in addition, it may be necessary to take painkillers.
A special place is occupied by special means that are used to care for oral hygiene. Their use extends throughout the entire period of wearing braces; moreover, care during this period should be especially thorough.
General tips for use
Stay up to date! Using these products is quite simple. However, it is necessary to take into account a number of the following rules:
- Before using the brush, be sure to brush your teeth in the usual way (using toothpaste and a regular brush).
- Bring the device to the interdental spaces (hold the device perpendicular) and gently massage the required areas of the teeth and the brace system (especially metal arches).
- It is advisable clean after every meal .
- After each use, the brush must be rinsed with warm water and then closed with a cap (included in the kit).
- Carry out the procedure without using special cleaning products (paste or tooth powder).
- Change the product as often as possible (if the fibers lose stiffness), on average once every 2-4 weeks .
In the first days of using the brush, the gums may bleed a little , which is quite normal for the adaptation period.
Remember ! However, if such symptoms persist for a week and your teeth hurt, you should consult a doctor for advice.
What is important for a braces wearer to know?
Although the cleaning procedure is not particularly difficult, it still requires some effort and time, therefore, to make the process more effective, we can recommend the following to the patient:
- purchase a magnifying glass that will help you better see food particles on your teeth;
- When cleaning, you should rinse your mouth in order to monitor the quality of the actions performed in real time;
- if you couldn’t find a special brush, you can make it from a regular one, which you just need to cut out the fibers on it from the central part.
Regarding the cleaning process, we can also recommend the following procedure to the patient:
- In the gum area, place the brush at an angle and make several rotational movements to clean.
- Each tooth should be cleaned, both from the inside and from the outside.
- You should not be afraid to touch the structure of the system itself; you should carefully brush it on both sides.
- The space between the teeth must be treated using special brushes.
- The procedure should take at least three minutes and should be completed by rinsing.
Additional care products
From the following video you will learn what products are necessary for proper care of braces:
You will need to purchase several additional accessories. These are such as:
- Floss (dental floss) – designed to remove deposits from interdental crevices and hard-to-reach places under braces. Advice: if an orthodontic product is worn for more than 1 year, experts recommend using waxed floss impregnated with fluoride and antimicrobial agents. This thread will help prevent the development of caries.
- An irrigator is a device that delivers a stream of rinse aid or water under pressure. It simultaneously washes away dirt from teeth and ligatures, massages the gums and improves blood flow into them.
- Rinses - their action is aimed at reducing the number of bacteria (disinfection) and stopping the inflammatory process that has begun.
- Toothpaste – preference should be given to those with a high content of fluoride, calcium and anti-inflammatory components.
You can find out the approximate price of Listerine mouthwash in our next publication. In this article: https://dentist-pro.ru/krasota-i-uxod/sredstva/zubnye-shhetki/unikalnaya-splat-individualnyj-podxod-k-potrebitelyu.html - you will find reviews about SPLAT toothpaste.
And here we consider Oral bi models of children's electric toothbrushes.
Choosing the right brush
The choice of options in stores is very large; you can find various sets that differ in the length and stiffness of the bristles. The choice of a specific option depends on the doctor’s recommendations and your own preferences. There are these types of toothbrushes for braces:
- orthodontic, having a small head and forked bristles;
- electrical, characterized by excellent functionality and quality of work;
- Mono-beam, capable of reaching, due to its length, the most remote and hard-to-reach areas in the mouth.
What exactly to choose is not so important; the main thing is to know how to use the brush and get used to it.
Proper Teeth Brushing Technique
So, it is important not only to take care of your mouth with braces installed, but to do it correctly. If you overdo it with care, you can provoke the structural elements to peel off from the teeth, but if cleaning is not done well enough, then there is a risk of caries.
The rules of care, meanwhile, are quite simple and absolutely everyone can follow them:
- you need to start cleaning from the front, making first horizontal and then vertical movements;
- the design of the system and the areas around it are well cleaned by single-tuft brushes, they are especially good for back teeth;
- hard-to-reach areas can be cleaned well with brushes, which also do an excellent job with large areas;
- superfloss is essential for cleaning the interdental space;
- A regular toothbrush can clean the inside of your chewing teeth perfectly.
Yes, this procedure takes longer than traditional cleansing, but it’s not difficult to get used to, and then it will simply become a habit. It is better to spend 10 minutes every day on cleaning than to prolong the treatment procedure for months.
Requirements for hygienic devices for braces
Not every product is suitable for caring for braces. Strict requirements are put forward for devices in this category. These include:
- the composition of the pile must be exclusively synthetic;
- cleaning head size - for children the size should not exceed 20 mm, and for adults 25 mm;
- type of bristles - medium-hard bristles are suitable for cleaning braces, since soft bristles do not remove deposits, and excessively hard bristles damage the structure.
In addition to a toothbrush, the required attributes for caring for orthodontic structures are:
- brushes for cleaning the spaces between the system and the enamel;
- dental floss to access the interdental space. It increases the effectiveness of overall care;
- a gum rinse that allows you to remove food debris and soft plaque.
Reviews from many users indicate that a toothbrush for braces is necessary, since thorough oral hygiene is impossible without it.
Nutritional Features
Installing braces implies not only compliance with the rules of caring for them, but also certain restrictions in the process of eating. So, in order not to create unnecessary problems for yourself, it is recommended to refuse:
- solid foods that can negatively affect your bite;
- sticky and viscous foods that can negatively affect the enamel;
- products with dyes, as they will change the color of the structure and make it unsightly;
- excessively cold or hot food, which can affect the physical properties of the system and reduce its efficiency.
It is important to know: A mandatory requirement is to refuse, unconditionally and completely, from chewing gum. This harsh approach is justified by the fact that the sugar it contains causes caries, plus, chewing gum can lead to braces coming off, which will lead to an increase in the number of visits to the doctor and delay of treatment.
Reviews of orthodontic products
Information about brushes that are produced for cleaning braces can be found on the Internet. People who wear such devices use different products.
For a long time I was afraid to get braces. What scared me was that they are difficult to care for, and the wrong brush can even ruin them. I first consulted with an orthodontist about this issue. He advised several options. I immediately abandoned the electric model. I used one like this as a teenager, but I didn’t like it. Therefore, I purchased a dental brush and a regular brush from Oral B. To prevent food debris from remaining in the braces, I always brush my teeth after eating.
Tatiana
When I got braces at school, I didn’t think to get special brushes. Due to the usual models, several wires were damaged, which were bent in different directions. I often had to go to the doctor to have everything fixed. For some reason, he didn’t say that I needed to use certain products, which I only learned about from the Internet. I threw away the old brush and bought a mono-tuft brush. There were no problems with it while brushing my teeth. I choose models with soft bristles so as not to irritate my gums.
Catherine
I've been wearing braces for six months now.
The orthodontist immediately said that I needed to use special brushes, but I didn’t listen to him. For the first week, I brushed my teeth normally, which caused the appliance to constantly move and become damaged in some places. I had to buy a Miradent I-Prox P brush and a special brush. I was very pleased with the results of cleaning with such devices. They quickly clean not only the teeth, but also the braces themselves, which do not deteriorate due to the high-quality bristles. Alyona
Lifetime
Answering the question about the duration of wearing the structure is not as simple as it might seem. This aspect is influenced by the following factors:
- the age of the patient - the younger he is, the less time is needed;
- degree of complexity of the problem - the simplest situations will require wearing the system for no more than a year, the most complex ones will require much more time;
- the health status of the patient's teeth - if there has been no prosthetics or depulpation before, then the wearing time will be shorter.
Three years, if we talk about the most problematic cases, of course, is a considerable period of time; to many, even one year seems an unreasonably long time, but it is still not worth using devices for acceleration. They are very expensive, but are not able to change human bone tissue, so their purchase is not justified. You also need to remember that ignoring proper and high-quality oral hygiene will lead to a delay in treatment and a decrease in its effectiveness.
How to use dental floss
Dental floss, or floss, is used to clean the spaces between teeth. The surface of the thread is impregnated with wax and flavoring, so that the effectiveness of its use is maximized, some rules should be followed:
- the length of the thread should not exceed 35 centimeters;
- the thread is wound onto the index finger of one hand and onto the middle finger of the other with a distance of no more than 10 centimeters;
- the thread is passed between the teeth and between the braces, this should be done with the utmost care and attention;
- To remove plaque, floss should be pressed to the surface of the tooth and cleaned.
Product varieties
Brushes of different models allow the patient to provide high-quality oral care while wearing braces. Typically, the working area of such products is equipped with cone-shaped or cylindrical bristles. It is durable and movable, and has varying degrees of rigidity. It is made from synthetic bristles, which are hygienic and safe for health. The device holder has a small or large base - it depends on what types of teeth the item is intended for.
Mono-beam toothbrush Miradent, with 4 replaceable heads
Cleaners are disposable accessories. An orthodontic brush is used for repeated use. Its main characteristics:
- has larger dimensions;
- used to cleanse only the lingual side of the enamel;
- is used for no longer than 1 – 2 weeks (service life depends on frequency of use and wear).
In addition to the mentioned products, it is necessary to acquire dental floss, as well as other special devices that help clean the interdental spaces - brushes cannot fully cope with this task.
Rules for using an electric brush
The effectiveness of an electric brush is certainly high, but it should be used carefully so as not to harm the gum mucosa and the structure of the bracket system itself. To do this, you need to follow some fairly simple recommendations:
- you should not “help” the brush, it is able to cope with the tasks itself;
- first you need to clean each tooth on one jaw, and then move on to the second;
- First, the outer side of the tooth is cleaned, then the inner;
- The brush should be applied so that its bristles completely cover the tooth.
Why do you need to use special brushes for cleaning with braces?
It is worth using brushes for cleaning, because they are able to eliminate even the smallest particles of food , which inevitably remain in the interdental space and in the braces themselves .
Ordinary this 100% .
As a result, colonies of pathogenic microorganisms form in the oral cavity, subsequently leading to the initial stage of caries and other adverse consequences.
Keep in mind! Regular use of these brushes helps keep your teeth clean and healthy.
At the same time, the brace system used retains a well-groomed appearance longer.
Review of dental care devices from
The Oral B company can safely be called one of the leaders among manufacturers of orthodontic products, in particular, this applies to toothbrushes. The most popular solutions from Oral bi products include the following:
| Name | Characteristics |
| "Ortho Oral-B" |
|
| "Antiplaque Piave Dental Care" |
|
| Antiplaque "Piave Dental Care" (mono-beam) |
|
How to properly clean braces with a brush
You should take the purchase of the product seriously. It is chosen taking into account personal characteristics and parameters of the oral cavity. If the bristles are not long enough, they will not completely remove plaque and food particles. If, on the contrary, it is excessively high, then it can damage the gums and provoke the correction clasps to come off. When purchasing, pay attention to the thickness of the fibers. They must freely penetrate to all desired areas.
Review of models of orthodontic brushes from other companies
| Model name | Characteristics |
| Vitis |
|
| Pierrot |
|
| Curaprox (mono-beam) |
|
| Miradent (mono-beam) |
|
| Vitis "Implant Monotip" |
|
| "Antiplaque Piave Dental Care" |
|
| "Antiplaque Piave Dental Care" (mono-beam) |
|
| "EDEL+WHIT" beam |
|
Popular manufacturers
Today, many manufacturers produce special brushes for cleaning braces, but not all of them are of high quality.
So, the most effective products are from the following brands :
- Lacalut (lacalut) - products are equipped with a metal rod made of hypoallergenic materials, covered with insulating plastic. This reduces trauma during use. Average price: 300 rubles and above.
- Colgate Total (colgate) – a distinctive feature of this product is that the products are produced in a set, which includes brushes with different bristle lengths. The cost of the product is on average 250-270 rubles.
- Miradent - are available in the form of a set that includes 4 brushes with ultra-soft bristles and a wire rod. The products differ from each other in the length and thickness of the bristles, as well as the diameter of the rod. The cost of the set is 500 rubles.
- Oral-B (oral bi) – products are cylindrical and cone-shaped, sold in small containers (include 1 pc.). Also available in sets. The price ranges from 250 to 400 rubles.
- Curaprox (curaprox) - products are made from a special alloy that is used in the surgical industry. The brushes produced under this brand are of high quality and have a long service life. Therefore, they cost around 1000 rubles.
Products from the above brands are not only highly effective, but also absolutely safe to use.
Review of some models of electric brushes
| Model name | Characteristics |
| "Triumph ProfessionalCare" |
|
| "Professional Care 3000" |
|
| Braun Oral B "Triumph" |
|
| Braun Oral B Professional Care |
|
| Panasonic Dentacare |
|
Purpose of special tools
The task of such tools, despite their different structure, is always the same - to efficiently clean the structure of the bracket system. For this purpose, the following means are used:
- V-shaped brushes.
The direct purpose of such brushes is to clean the braces. The edges of the pile of this product have a standard height, and closer to the middle it is shortened. This allows not only to effectively clean the system, but also to keep tooth enamel clean. Particular attention should be paid to the degree of stiffness of the brush, so as not to damage the structure; the most successful solution would be to choose soft bristles. The price of such products ranges from 100 to 350 rubles, depending on the model.
- Mono-beam.
This option, also called a single-tuft brush, functionally combines a classic toothbrush and a toothpick. A mono-beam brush is designed for cleaning elements of the bracket system, teeth and interdental space. Outwardly, it differs from ordinary brushes, resembling a long stick with a round head at the end. This head is equipped with a tuft of bristles, the diameter of which can reach one centimeter; the pile of such bristles is longer than on conventional brushes. This allows you to reach the most difficult to reach areas and perform the cleaning procedure with the highest quality possible. Issue price: 150 - 300 rubles.
- Yorshiki.
Outwardly, they are very similar to traditional brushes, with the help of which they wash dishes with a narrow neck. The bristles are so small and elastic that they allow you to get into any place on the structure and clean out the smallest particles of food. The shape of the brushes can be conical or cylindrical; it is optimal to use the latter for cleaning the system. One set is enough for about a week, the cost varies between 250 - 600 rubles.
Range
To care for the corrective product, a set of orthodontic brushes is used:
- with a V-shaped neckline;
- monobeam;
- pipe cleaners;
- electric.
V-neck
This is a device in which the bristles have an uneven height, i.e. it is shorter in the middle than on the sides. Looking at it from the end, you can clearly see that the pile in the center has a cutout in the form of a Latin letter V, and on the sides it is of standard height.
This feature allows you to simultaneously remove plaque from the enamel and parts of the orthodontic apparatus. This is possible due to the tight fit of the bristles to the teeth and structure.
Long bristles along the edges clean the surface of the enamel and interdental spaces, and short bristles clean the bracket clasps and arch. When making bristles, soft fibers are used, which during use do not damage or harm the corrective product.
When using a brush, it is important to consider the following features of the process:
- The procedure begins with cleaning the lingual, incisal and vestibular parts of the teeth using sweeping movements.
- Then, using the same technique, from the gum line to the edges of the teeth, the locks are cleaned.
- The arc is processed with horizontal movements, and the V-shaped cut should be on the arc.
Mono-beam
The product is intended for spot treatment of teeth, interdental crevices and orthodontic product parts. It simultaneously combines the functions of two tools: a toothpick and a regular brush.
In appearance, the brush looks like an elongated thin stick with a small rounded head on top. The device has a unique head design that distinguishes it from all other brushes.
It is equipped with only 1 bundle of fibers, the diameter of which does not exceed 10 mm, and the length is slightly larger than the standard size. The head is positioned vertically relative to the base. These features of the brush allow you to perform very high-quality cleaning and reach remote, hard-to-reach areas.
Its main advantage is that, having a small head, it allows the procedure to be carried out for each individual brace or tooth.
The product is available in different versions, differing in the shape of the fibers. To care for the corrective apparatus, orthodontists recommend using cone-shaped bristles. Long bristles in the center penetrate into the gaps of the locks, and shorter bristles at the edges clean the surfaces of the structure.
We will tell you what types of teeth whitening varnishes there are in our next article. This review is dedicated to the description of dental brushes.
Treatment of the oral cavity is carried out according to the following rules:
- the brush should be positioned at right angles to the surface of the teeth;
- the procedure begins from the gum line to the cutting surface;
- Next, the braces are cleaned.
Braces should be cleaned as follows:
- the locks are processed in a circular motion with a brush located perpendicular to the braces;
- Using sweeping movements, the arc is cleaned along its entire length.
The remaining parts and segments of the device are cleaned in the same way.
Cleaners
Designed for the treatment of orthodontic products and interdental spaces. They look very much like household brushes, but only very small in size. They easily penetrate hard-to-reach areas that are inaccessible to a classic brush.
They consist of a holder and a working part (nozzle with bristles). They differ from each other in the length of the product itself, the shape of the working part, the stiffness and size of the bristles, and the length of the handle.
To clean braces, it is recommended to use products with a conical nozzle and soft bristles. Their upper narrow part cleans the parts of the corrective device, and the lower wide part cleans out food debris from the interdental spaces. The daily number of procedures for cleaning the orthodontic apparatus with brushes is at least 2 times.
Treatment of braces is performed in the following sequence:
- brush your teeth first;
- Use a brush to work the locks back and forth;
- clean the arch: insert the device between it and the teeth, and carefully rotate it along the axis;
- The arch on the outside of the tooth is cleaned in the same way.
If you use them every day, you need to change the attachments on your brush every week.
Electrical
This model is popular. It efficiently removes deposits from teeth and appliances in a short period of time. The frequency of rotation of its head exceeds the number of movements that a person makes with a regular brush.
The device is designed so that it can perform pulsating or rotating movements when switching modes. Many models are supplemented with an ultrasonic emitter, which promotes loosening and subsequent separation of plaque.
When purchasing an electric brush, you should pay attention to the presence of:
- mode regulator;
- speed controller;
- presence of additional modes;
- timer.
If these devices are used incorrectly and cleaning for a long time, they lead to deformation and breakage of the orthodontic structure.
The fixation elements may become unstable if the procedure is performed at high speed of rotation of the head. Ultrasonic radiation affects the structure of the glue, which will inevitably lead to the braces coming off the teeth.
Important: to prevent the use of an electric brush from causing damage to the corrective apparatus, it is necessary to select the correct model and reduce the procedure time to 1.5-2 minutes.
Recommendations
The effectiveness of cleansing will largely depend on the correct implementation of the following recommendations:
- It is better to give preference to synthetic bristles rather than natural ones, since the latter has many pores where harmful bacteria accumulate, causing inflammation;
- the diameter of the brush head should not exceed 250 millimeters for adults and 200 for children;
- soft bristles are better than hard bristles in terms of penetration;
- It’s good to also use an irrigator after cleaning, which can wash away food debris from those places where the brush could not fully reach.
Requirements
There are special requirements for a brush for caring for braces:
- Villi. It is unacceptable to make them from natural raw materials. They should only be synthetic.
This requirement is explained by the fact that natural pile is hollow inside, which leads to the accumulation of pathogenic microorganisms inside it. In them they quickly multiply, affecting the entire oral cavity during the hygiene procedure.In addition, a product with natural bristles has a short service life, exceeding which can be hazardous to health.
- Villi hardness . Preference should be given to a brush with medium-hard bristles. Compared to their hard counterparts, they penetrate well into small structural parts and remove dirt better, unlike soft pile.
- Head - its size must strictly correspond to certain values. So, a product for adults should have a head of 25-30 mm, for children - no more than 20 mm. This is explained by the fact that the discrepancy between its size and the age of the user reduces the result of the procedure.
Compliance with all these requirements will allow you to clean both braces and teeth with the highest quality possible.
Possible problems
The main problem is that the risk of caries increases significantly while wearing braces. This happens because food debris causes plaque to form on the enamel. As a result, the safety of not only tooth enamel, but also gums is jeopardized, which causes inflammation and pain. A toothbrush for braces is designed to avoid this; the main thing in this case is to choose the right and most effective option.
Oral hygiene when wearing orthodontic appliances
It can be quite difficult to clean out food debris and accumulated plaque in the mouth from hard-to-reach places. And if additional structures are installed, their cleaning becomes more difficult.
This is explained by the fact that the presence of a bracket structure contributes to the accumulation of deposits between its parts and in places where the enamel comes into contact with the apparatus (especially near the brackets). No matter how correctly and carefully a person tries to clean the surface using conventional means, these are the places that will be inaccessible to everyone’s usual brush.
Small food debris accumulating in the device causes active growth of bacteria. They immediately begin to negatively affect the gums and teeth, causing the development of various diseases.
It is because of this reason that when using braces, oral care should be taken more responsibly, and ordinary paste and brush will no longer be enough.
Exclusively for patients who are recommended to wear such a design, orthodontists and hygienists have created a special device - a brush. It allows you to more effectively clean out deposits between the enamel and braces, without damaging the mucous membrane with careless movement and increased pressure.
