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Braces Care: Keep Your Smile Clean with Braces On

Managing braces comes with unique challenges, like food particles getting trapped and plaque building up around metal brackets and wires.

At Chinook Dental, we recommend these specific tools to help you maintain a healthy, bright smile throughout your orthodontic journey.

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Platypus Floss Picks

Slides under wires where regular floss can’t reach

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Electric Toothbrush

Higher vibrations clean effectively around metal brackets

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Waterpik Water Flosser

Uses pulsed water to blast away trapped food and plaque

ClinPro Toothpaste

Fights white spot lesions and strengthens enamel around braces

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Platypus Floss Picks

Best for: Patients who struggle to floss around wires

  • The unique spatulated end fits easily under the archwire to remove plaque and food debris.
  • Reduces the risk of gingivitis by ensuring daily flossing is painless and quick.
  • Use at least once a day, preferably before bedtime.
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Waterpik Water Flosser

Best for: Deep cleaning brackets and stimulating gum health

  • Uses a pressurized stream of water to blast away debris from tight spaces around brackets.
  • Massages gum tissue to improve circulation and prevent swelling during treatment.
  • Use once daily in combination with mechanical flossing.
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Electric Toothbrush

Best for: Consistently removing 100% more plaque than manual brushing

  • Micro-vibrations reach areas that manual bristles simply can't navigate.
  • Built-in pressure sensors prevent you from brushing too hard and damaging wires.
  • Use twice daily for a full two minutes each time.

ClinPro Toothpaste

Best for: Strengthening enamel and preventing 'white spots' around brackets

  • Contains professional-grade fluoride and calcium to remineralize tooth surfaces.
  • Protects against the acid produced by trapped food particles.
  • Use once daily before bed; do not rinse with water after brushing.

Daily Braces Care Routine

1.

Start by using Platypus Floss Picks to reach between brackets and under the main wire where food commonly hides.

2.

Use your Waterpik Water Flosser to flush out remaining debris from tight spots around bracket wings and wires.

3.

Apply a pea-sized amount of ClinPro Toothpaste to your Electric Toothbrush head.

4.

Brush thoroughly for two minutes, angling the bristles above and below the brackets to clean the tooth surface properly.

5.

Spit out the excess toothpaste but do not rinse with water; this allows the fluoride in ClinPro to strengthen your enamel.

6.

Inspect your smile in a mirror to ensure all brackets are shiny and free of plaque or food particles.

Charters Method for Brushing with Braces

The Charters method is a specialized technique designed to clean effectively around orthodontic brackets and along the gumline, ensuring no plaque is left behind in hard-to-reach areas.

1. Angle Bristles: Place the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle toward the gumline and the top of the brackets.

2. Vibrating Motions: Use small, circular vibrating motions to allow bristles to slide under the archwire and around brackets.

3. Focus on Each Tooth: Spend several seconds on each tooth before moving to the next one.

4. Inside Surfaces: Repeat the same angled brushing process on the inside surfaces of your teeth.

5. Finish: Brush the chewing surfaces of your molars with a gentle back-and-forth motion.

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