Brushing with Braces

If you have braces, your oral hygiene routine should be accelerating into overdrive. The reason for this is that braces have tiny spaces where food particles and plaque get trapped, and inadequate cleaning while wearing these wires can cause enamel staining and tooth decay around brackets or bands. At the dental practice of Dr. Joseph S Dallessandro, he and our staff can’t stand behind you to monitor how you often you brush, but we can recommend the following routine to help make daily brushing and flossing with braces both simple and effective.

• Prepare to brush – take off elastics, and any other removable parts of your orthodontic appliance.


• Clean your braces – use your brush at a 45-degree angle to clean around the wires and pins of your braces. Brush the top of each wire and then from the bottom. Take time to ensure that all plaque and debris are removed.


• Brush your teeth – clean each tooth individually. First, place your brush at a 45-degree angle to the junction between the tooth and the gum, and then apply gentle pressure as you move in a circular motion. Use the same brushing action on all outer and inner tooth surfaces, tilting the brush as needed to better reach the insides of smaller front teeth.

Last but not least, don’t forget to floss in between brackets!

If you have questions about oral care, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at the practice, visit www.josephdallessandro.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Joseph S Dallessandro in our New York, NY office, call 212-988-1089.