The brackets and other special orthodontic hardware components of your braces have been secured in your mouth with a strong dental adhesive. This is designed to hold fast to the tension applied during your routine adjustment sessions. If you develop tooth decay issues around a piece of braces hardware, it could significantly increase the amount of time it takes to fully realign your teeth.
To help you clean around braces hardware and maintain good oral hygiene throughout the realignment process, you might want to try using interdental brushes and floss threaders.
A floss threader is a simple loop-shaped tool that can insert a strand dental floss into tightly fit spaces between teeth. It’s especially helpful for flossing the gumline beneath wires. Using waxed dental floss will further help the strand slide into place while reducing the chances of snapping the floss into your gums.
Interdental brushes have small-angled heads that help clean food particles and plaque from hard-to-reach places. This makes them especially handy for cleaning around bands and spacers.
You might want to also consider using an oral irrigator or a dental water jet. The concentrated stream of water they create can help clean food debris from around braces hardware and the gumline. Just keep in mind that it cannot replace the effectiveness of flossing for completely cleaning away food material and plaque buildup.
If you have concerns about how to clean hard-to-reach places around your braces in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, you should call 920-563-2928 to consult with Dr. Stacey Eby or a member of the orthodontic staff at Eby Family Dental.