Learning how to brush your teeth with braces and flossing with braces can be challenging. The brackets on your teeth make it difficult to properly clean around them. And they make it harder to use traditional dental floss. 

At the same time, when you’re seeking orthodontic treatment to get the smile of your dreams, you want to maintain good oral hygiene. Otherwise, tooth decay could destroy all that hard work. So that’s why, today, I’ll walk you through the best ways to brush your teeth with braces. And I’ll offer suggestions that make flossing with braces so much easier.

First things first: you need the right tools for brushing. It all starts with the brush you use: I like a soft-bristled one, but you can also try an electric toothbrush. As long as you keep using it on moderate power levels, and avoid hitting your brackets with the back of your brush. 

You may prefer an interdental toothbrush—it looks like a pipe cleaner, with lots of bristles all around. This toothbrush can be helpful when you need to clean the small spaces around and between your brackets and wires. 

When it comes to toothpaste, I want you to use one with fluoride. Just stay away from whitening toothpastes. Since they can’t treat the area under your brackets, you could end up with color differences once your braces are removed. And that’s not a great look on anyone. 

Now, let’s talk about frequency. You should aim to brush twice a day when you have braces. Ideally, you’ll brush right after you finish a meal. And, during each two-minute brushing session, target all of your tooth surfaces—front, back, and the deep ridges of your chewing teeth. Pay careful attention to the areas between your teeth and your wires, and between your gums and brackets. Food just loves to collect in these spots. 

Finally, think about technique. The best way to brush with braces is to start at the front of your teeth. Put the bristles flat against your teeth, and move in small circles to gently clean every part of your tooth. When you’re working between your braces and gums, work in circular motions, angling your brush towards your gum line. (Or using your interdental brush.) Next comes your chewing surfaces—go back and forth there, being firm but not too rough. Then, get to the back of your teeth, moving in circles again like you did at the front. And once you’re done with brushing those teeth, it’s time to start flossing!

We all know it’s important to floss. That’s the only way to remove food and plaque that’s stuck between your teeth. But flossing with braces is hard: how do you get that floss between your brackets? Well, there are a few different options. The one you choose will depend on your schedule and budget. First up, let’s talk about using plain old dental floss. 

If you want to floss without tools, cut yourself a long piece of dental floss—at least 18 inches. Then, working carefully, you can thread the floss between your teeth and the main wire of your braces. Once that’s done, wrap the floss ends around your fingers for support. 

Next, press dental floss between your teeth, gently sliding it along the sides of both teeth. When you’re done, move on the next pair of teeth. Just remember, while this technique is effective, it can also be time consuming. Which is why you may want to buy some tools to make flossing with braces a little simpler. 

Here’s one way to make flossing with braces faster that will hardly cost you anything: use a floss threader! This small, plastic tool makes it easier to thread dental floss behind your braces wire, so it makes flossing with braces a much faster process.  

To use a floss threader, pull dental floss through the tool’s eye. Next, put the floss threader’s point under your wire, then gently pull dental floss through the wire. Now you’re ready to floss. Start by holding the floss threader in one hand, while you wrap your dental floss around your fingers. Finally, move the floss down gently between two teeth, then up the side of each one, using the same technique as you did without the floss threader. I think you’ll find this process much less frustrating than flossing with braces and no assistive devices! 

Superfloss is a special kind of dental floss designed to help you clean around your braces. It comes in pre-cut pieces, and its ends are stiff, so it’s easier to thread superfloss beneath your braces. Plus, it has a tufted segment that catches and removes extra plaque while you floss. To use superfloss, simply thread it between your braces and your teeth, then follow the same method you’d use with regular dental floss. Or, to make flossing with braces even simpler, you can combine superfloss with a floss threader (see above for details.)

If flossing with braces is challenging, you can try using a water flosser or Waterpik. This tool should help supplement your brushing and flossing. But remember, a water flosser shouldn’t replace brushing or flossing with braces. It’s just a bonus to help you stay extra clean. 

Still, for about $50, a water flosser will stream water in your mouth, helping you clean between your teeth and along the line of your gums. Some water flossers are even designed for use with braces. They have tapered tips that make it simpler to clean around your hardware. But, since you’ll still need to floss more traditionally, you may explore other tools to help you floss during orthodontic treatment. 

Now you know how to brush your teeth with braces. And you’ve got some great options for flossing with braces. So I just want to leave you with one final thought. Don’t neglect your dentist while you’re regularly seeing an orthodontist. Sticking to your regular, professional teeth cleaning will go a long way towards achieving a bright and beautiful smile while you’ve got braces.