Hygiene is an important method of preventing all dental pathologies.
It is high-quality teeth cleaning that will keep them healthy for a long time.
And if you have braces in your mouth, they need better care, which can be provided by special orthodontic toothbrushes.
A special brush is a must have for braces wearers
Orthodontic structures require increased attention from their owners. It is necessary to carefully monitor your diet so as not to damage the archwires, ligatures or break off the clasps. It is especially important to properly and fully carry out hygiene, which, as you might guess, is very difficult for wearers of braces. Can I clean my braces with a regular brush? If you do not brush your teeth properly, especially at the place where the locks are attached, at the gums and in the spaces between teeth, demineralization of the enamel, multiple caries, and gum inflammation may occur. Therefore, oral hygiene products must be special: not only able to fit into all possible gaps in the structure, but also without the risk of damaging it.
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.
V-shaped brush for braces
Cleaning braces involves two multidirectional tasks: on the one hand, it is necessary to thoroughly clean out plaque and food particles, on the other hand, this must be done as carefully as possible so as not to damage the structure. Brushes with soft bristles and a special recess for locks - V-shaped - can handle this. They can clean the area around the bracket and the bracket itself at the same time. They tend to be more resilient when wet because they are made from polyester, which can absorb moisture better than the nylon used in regular brushes. And the soft bristles prevent damage to the gums and are suitable for increased tooth sensitivity.
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.
Can I clean my braces with an electric brush?
Electric toothbrushes can be used in patients with braces. In this case, you need to choose special attachments: narrower and with soft bristles. It is desirable that it operates in reciprocating rotation mode. It should be taken into account that the bristles of an electric toothbrush wear out much faster in orthodontic patients. Approximately every two to four weeks you will have to change the attachments. However, it does not relieve the “brace-bearer” from using other hygiene products, such as brushes or mono-tuft brushes, which allow you to clean the narrowest and hard-to-reach places.
Requirements
To effectively remove plaque from the enamel and surface of braces, the brush must meet the following requirements:
- The fibers of the product must be made of synthetic material. This is explained simply - the natural bristles are hollow inside, so food debris and microorganisms accumulate in them. This environment promotes the growth of bacteria and their further spread throughout the oral cavity during brushing.
- The size of the head of the product should be comfortable for use. Dentists recommend purchasing a brush with a head length of no more than 2.5-3.0 cm for adults and 2.0 cm for children. This is due to the fact that products that are too bulky will not be able to penetrate the narrow gaps between teeth and braces.
- Medium hard bristles are most preferred . It will penetrate well into the clasps of braces, unlike its too hard counterparts, and will more effectively remove plaque compared to very soft bristles.
Toothbrush for braces
Cleaning the space between the bracket and the arch, interdental spaces and hard-to-reach places is not an easy task. That is why, after installing braces, doctors recommend that their patients use y or toothbrushes. They easily remove plaque in hard-to-reach areas and between teeth. Their bristles are longer than regular brushes, and their heads are much smaller, which allows them to penetrate deep under the orthodontic structure and effectively cope with plaque in the area of wisdom teeth and crowded teeth.
Popular models
In pharmacies and specialized sales points, brushes for corrective products are presented in a large assortment. Each manufacturer of oral hygiene products produces its own line of these devices.
Oral-B Ortho
Created by specialists from a German company primarily for patients undergoing bite correction. The Oral bi Orto brush is suitable both for caring for braces and for cleaning other orthodontic products and teeth.
Has the following features:
- Pile in the middle with a V-neck.
- The head is compact and round in shape.
- The bristles are made from elastic, but quite elastic raw materials.
- The neck is elongated and narrow.
- The shape is comfortable, ergonomic design. The handle has shaped inserts with a ribbed surface that prevent fingers from slipping.
Cost about 280 rubles.
Antiplaque Piave Dental Care
Mono-beam model from an Italian manufacturer. This product includes:
- handle with ribbed finger rests;
- villi are produced using laser equipment, which allows manufacturers to make their surface absolutely smooth;
- The bristles have a wavy shape with rounded ends.
The cost of the product starts from 130 rubles.
Triumph Professional Care
Electric model from Oral-B. It is distinguished by the special quality of the procedure, which is achieved with circular, pulsating and sweeping movements. This effect allows you to perform 3D processing of braces in a very short time.
The product is supplemented with a pressure indicator. It allows you to control the force on structural parts and prevents their damage and deformation. The model has 5 operating modes, which is very convenient.
It comes with 7 attachments, one of which is designed for processing orthodontic structures.
It is possible to buy at a price of 5700-6000 rubles.
Panasonic EW-DS 11K 520
The Japanese model, equipped with 2 attachments, is capable of cleaning enamel and orthodontic structures. The product itself is rectangular in shape, with a miniature head, medium-hard bristles, which are made from special raw materials. The brush cap is able to extend its handle, which makes it possible to reach the most remote areas of the system.
It has a low noise level and performs only pulsating movements at a speed of 16 thousand/min. This is the mode that is considered safe for braces.
The average price of a product is 970 rubles.
CPS Paro
The model of the Swiss company includes an additional mono-beam nozzle for caring for teeth with a corrective device installed on them.
The brush itself is available in 2 types: with three or four rows of bristles, and has a long and comfortable handle. The bristles on the heads are made of polyester, and their tips are rounded. This feature allows you to effectively remove plaque from the enamel under braces without damaging sensitive gums.
The price of the product starts from 280 rubles.
Important: when using any of the listed care products for orthodontic structures, it is important to strictly adhere to the rules for cleaning them. This will significantly improve its quality and protect the system from deformation.
Ultrasonic brush for cleaning teeth with braces
Ultrasonic brushes can greatly simplify oral hygiene for orthodontic patients. A brush operating on pure ultrasound does not even require sweeping movements on the surface of the teeth, which means that its head does not wear out due to constant friction against the clasps and arches of braces, and there is no risk of damaging the structure. Ultrasound effectively removes plaque and even tartar, penetrates deeply into the gums, and fights microbes in periodontal pockets. Using a special toothpaste that can create microbubbles allows you to clean your mouth even more efficiently.
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.
How to brush your teeth with a braces brush?
First, you should walk along both rows of teeth with horizontal movements, and then with comma-like movements, positioning the brush so that the notch is located in the area of the locks. Be sure to grab the gum area. Then turn the toothbrush so that its long bristles can clean the bottom edge of the braces clasps, and do the same on top. Clean the chewing surface of your teeth with forward movements, and the inside with sweeping movements. Next, use dental floss or special brushes to clean the interdental spaces, the space above and below the arch. At the end of the cleaning, you can use it, adjusted in accordance with the recommendations of your orthodontist. While wearing braces, you need to brush your teeth after every meal, at least three times a day. During the day, you can limit yourself to a brush, paste and brushes; in the evening, when you have more time for hygiene, use a floss and irrigator.
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.
Where can I buy a brush for braces?
Today it's pretty simple. Prices for brushes for braces vary depending on the company. Orthobrushes cost from 200 rubles, single-beam ones - from 260 rubles, orthodontic attachments for electric brushes will cost from 300 rubles and more.
In addition to the usual care with toothpaste, brushes, floss and brushes, dentists recommend using irrigators. They are able to remove food particles even from the most difficult to reach places without damaging the orthodontic structure. Modern devices are equipped with several operating modes, allowing you to use both mono jet and bubble cleaning for more effective hygiene.
Kinds
There are several types of devices designed specifically for the care of fixed orthodontic structures. This applies not only to braces, but also to plates and trays that a person cannot independently remove from the oral cavity for cleaning and disinfection.
V-shaped
The device is specially designed to remove plaque and food debris around orthodontic structures. A distinctive feature of the design of the V-shaped device is that the shortest fibers are in the middle, and the longest ones are on the sides. The bristles located in the middle are designed to clean the clasps of the braces. The bristles along the edges process the surface of the teeth.
An orthodontic toothbrush must meet a number of requirements:
- the size of the working part varies up to 2 cm for children and up to 2.5 cm for adult patients;
- the bristles are made of synthetic fibers;
- The pile level is of medium hardness.
It is not recommended to use brushes with natural bristles to care for braces. Plaque and bacteria accumulate faster on natural bristles.
It is also undesirable to use toothbrushes with hard bristles for braces. They may damage the product or tooth enamel. In the latter case, a person may develop dental hypersensitivity when eating hot and cold food.
Mono-beam
The product is distinguished by a thin handle and tightly collected long fibers. The tips of the bristles can be pointed or straight. The average length of the pile is 9 mm.
Let's look at the main characteristics of the product:
- the tuft of pile is located perpendicular to the head;
- the cleaning head is small in size and round in shape;
- the working part of the brush is made of synthetic or natural materials.
The miniature size of the monobeam brush allows it to be used for cleaning hard-to-reach areas of the oral cavity, including the treatment of the joints of braces and enamel.
Cleaners
The devices resemble household brushes for cleaning bottles in appearance. Their main purpose is to remove bacterial plaque from the side surface of teeth under a metal arch.
The brush has a long metal handle made of medical alloys. The shape of the device head is semicircular or curved. The first type of orthodontic brushes is better at removing food particles stuck in fixed structures. The bristles of the brushes are impregnated with a special composition that prevents injury to the enamel and bracket locks.
The models of brushes produced differ from each other in the length and diameter of the pile. The average cost of a set of products is from 200 to 700 rubles.
Electrical
Electric models differ from traditional brushes in their rotation speed. The movements of the villi can be translational or rotational. However, it must be remembered that strong mechanical stress can lead to breakage of orthodontic structures.
It is advisable that electric brushes for cleaning braces have:
- several operating modes;
- function for adjusting the speed of rotation of the bristles;
- pressure sensor of bristles on enamel.
Modern models of electrical devices have a pressure sensor and operating time control. The device turns off automatically after 3 minutes of use. If you press excessively on the enamel, a light indicator on the brush handle will light up, which will signal errors during hygiene measures. Additional options increase the cost of the product. However, in some cases it is impossible to do without them.
In addition to electric ones, ultrasonic models are also available, but they are not suitable for cleaning braces. Ultrasonic vibrations can destroy part of the orthodontic devices to which the brackets are attached.
Care
To extend the life of the device, it is necessary to provide high-quality care for it. To do this, brush heads must be constantly disinfected with antiseptics - Chlorhexine, Miramistin. After each hygiene procedure, the nozzles are rinsed under running water to remove bacteria from their surface. Ignoring this rule will lead to the active accumulation of bacteria on the surface of the nozzles. Cleaning your teeth and braces with such devices will be dangerous.
It is recommended to store brushes for braces in an upright position. To do this, use a glass or special stands. Brush heads need to be changed every 3-4 months. If electrical devices are used to treat the oral cavity, then after each procedure it is necessary to check the charge level.
