Cleaning before braces: why is it needed?
Correction of the bite always begins with sanitation of the oral cavity. In addition to treating diseases of the teeth and gums, it includes mandatory professional cleaning before installing braces. The doctor will remove hard deposits with ultrasound, and soft deposits with a thin and powerful jet of cleaning powder solution (AirFlow technology). After this, the teeth will need to be polished with a special paste and coated with a fluoride-containing preparation to strengthen the enamel. Such a hygienic procedure should be carried out 3 - 5 days before installation, but no later than 24 hours.
What happens if you don’t brush your teeth before braces? Bacterial plaque will get under the elements of the system, in particular under the clasps that are glued to the enamel. Considering that orthodontic appliances are worn for a year at best, and two years on average, microorganisms will have enough time to multiply and lead to the formation of caries. It is impossible to properly cure it with braces on the teeth. There is a risk of early removal of the device, and this will spoil the final result, and the patient will waste money, time and moral strength. This is why brushing your teeth before getting braces is mandatory.
Rules for caring for braces after installation
And finally, the orthodontic structure is put on. There are many months, or even years of treatment ahead, during which you will need to devote a lot of time to oral hygiene. Cleaning braces is not an easy task. An orthodontic apparatus is a complex system with many elements: clasps, arches, ligatures, rings, springs, hooks for elastic rods... And on each of them food particles can remain and plaque can accumulate.
Recommendations for caring for the braces system
- You need to brush your teeth at least three times a day, and ideally after every meal, even a small snack.
- It is necessary to brush not only your teeth, but also between them. Dental floss will help clean the interdental space.
- The hygiene of braces must be the most thorough: all elements of the system will have to be processed on each side, avoiding the accumulation of plaque.
- You will have to purchase special brushes for cleaning braces, as well as additional devices such as an irrigator. We will talk about this in more detail below.
- To clean the braces system and teeth, a fluoride-containing paste is used, as well as a fluoride-containing rinse, which completes the oral hygiene procedure with braces.
- It’s best to always carry a toothbrush and floss with you in case you need to eat out.
- For those who wear braces, care and nutrition go hand in hand. During treatment, you will have to give up a number of foods—hard, sticky, fibrous, and anything else that could damage your braces or get stuck in them. You should also significantly limit sweets.
Hygiene of the brace system is a key task for the entire period of wearing an orthodontic device. If it is neglected, whitish spots may appear on the enamel of the teeth - traces of demineralization and the accumulation of bacterial plaque. They look unaesthetic and spoil the impression of the results of long-term treatment.
Clean and bleach
When using the services of an experienced orthodontist, the patient will not have to worry about decalcification, stains or other defects in the teeth while wearing braces. Even before installing the leveling structure, the doctor will thoroughly clean the teeth, thus minimizing the occurrence of undesirable consequences, and immediately after removing the braces, he will carefully remove all remaining glue and polish the enamel.
If, for a number of unforeseen reasons, these manipulations are not enough, a good specialist will offer the patient one of the professional methods of teeth cleaning that exist today - effective, safe and painless. The procedure of hardware or chemical cleaning will be carried out immediately after removing the braces, after which the teeth will acquire their original white color, devoid of any pigment inclusions.
In some cases, simply brushing your teeth may not be enough, which is mainly due to the structure of the patient’s oral cavity. There is no harm in this - the specialists of our clinic recommend correcting imperfections using safe whitening methods, both clinical and at home, which can quickly and without harm to the health of your teeth return them to a crystal white color.
Hygiene products for braces
When a person wears braces, oral care consists of several stages. Each of them has its own tool, so the patient will have to acquire a whole arsenal of hygiene products.
Brush for cleaning teeth with braces
The orthobrush has a V-shape with a depression in the center of the pile, which is necessary for treating the surfaces of teeth and most of the orthodontic apparatus. This is where teeth cleaning with braces at home begins. Orthodontists also recommend purchasing a single-tuft toothbrush for cleaning braces. It will be useful for processing distant teeth and the outer part of locks.
Brushes for cleaning braces
It is also necessary to use brushes to clean braces. With their help, it is easy to clean the dental surface under the arcs of the device.
Superfloss
For oral hygiene with braces and cleaning the space between the teeth and around the clasps, you will need a special thread with a hard end - superfloss.
Oral irrigator
Separately, it is necessary to mention the most important device for cleaning braces - the irrigator. The device is somewhat similar to an electric toothbrush, but instead of bristles it has a nozzle from which a powerful stream of water is supplied. The irrigator helps clear plaque from hard-to-reach places where brushes and brushes cannot reach (for example, gum pockets).
Strengthening toothpaste
Wearing braces significantly increases the risk of caries. Therefore, it is worth thinking about prevention. Toothpastes with fluoride, hydroxyapatite crystals, theobromine and other strengthening substances will make your teeth stronger.
Why do you need to have your braces cleaned at the dentist?
No matter how thoroughly you clean your braces at home, it is impossible to 100% remove plaque accumulated in hard-to-reach places. This is why patients undergoing orthodontic treatment are recommended to have their braces professionally cleaned at least once every 6 months, and ideally once every quarter. It needs to be scheduled in the same way as regular visits to the orthodontist to monitor and correct the system.
Professional cleaning of teeth with braces is carried out according to the same scheme as in all other cases, but requires greater care from the doctor. Using the AirFlow device, the hygienist removes plaque, paying special attention to the areas around the locks. If necessary, ultrasound is also used to remove hard deposits in the pregingival zone (ultrasound cannot be used around elements of the orthodontic apparatus). After completing the procedure, it is worth carrying out surface fluoridation of the teeth to strengthen the enamel.
Professional hygiene will help avoid the appearance of whitish spots on the surface of the teeth. Therefore, to the question “Is it possible to do cleaning with braces?” we answer: “Not only is it possible, but it is also necessary!”
How much does professional teeth cleaning cost?
The cost of professional teeth cleaning ranges from 3,900 rubles (Air Flow cleaning only) to 6,900 (comprehensive hygienic cleaning with a large amount of tartar). If tartar is on several teeth, then tartar removal is calculated according to the number of teeth - 280 rubles when removing tartar with ultrasound, or 390 rubles when using hand instruments. The cost of strengthening enamel, for example, with Tuss Mousse cream is 750 rubles.
Before the start of cleaning at the Family Dental Hygienist, the hygienist conducts an examination, on the basis of which he prepares a medical estimate, which indicates what manipulations will be performed and their cost. That is, Dial-Dent patients know the final cost before the procedure begins. If the patient agrees with this estimate, the hygienist begins cleaning the teeth.
Brushing your teeth after removing braces
You need to be attentive to oral hygiene not only during orthodontic treatment, but also after its completion. Care after removing braces plays an important role in preventing caries. The fact is that during the process of correcting the bite, the enamel is subjected to constant pressure. Dental care after braces often includes the use of special gels, pastes and varnishes that restore enamel density and reduce sensitivity.
Professional cleaning after braces will also not be superfluous. The hygienist will remove plaque and pigment inclusions and make an application that strengthens the enamel. If there are no contraindications, after removal of the system, patients can have their teeth whitened to return them to their original snow-white shade.
Brushing your teeth after braces at home should remain just as thorough. Of course, there will no longer be a need for a whole arsenal of brushes and brushes, but brushing your teeth twice a day and using floss is a must.
Professional oral hygiene
Professional hygiene is a set of procedures that involve removing plaque and dental deposits without damaging the enamel and preventing the development of many dental diseases. In fact, this is more than prevention, since the result of the procedure is not only the prevention of various troubles, but also the complete restoration of the functionality and aesthetics of the teeth. This is the main goal and essence of professional teeth cleaning.
Indications for professional oral hygiene
- the presence of mineralized dental deposits and plaque in the supragingival/subgingival contact area of tooth enamel
- crowded teeth
- comprehensive dental treatment
- prevention of caries and periodontitis (recommended at least once every 3 months)
- inflammatory process affecting the gums
- enamel pigmentation
- bad breath
Professional hygiene is necessary at least 2 times a year, and in some cases more often.
Also, professional cleaning is recommended before:
- surgical, therapeutic, orthodontic and orthopedic procedures
- bleaching
- remineralization (remotherapy, fluoridation)
- restoration (for precise selection of the shade of the material for restoration)
Stages of comprehensive professional cleaning
- Examination of the oral cavity to determine problem areas and scope of work
- Treatment with an ultrasonic device is the treatment of tooth enamel using vibration of a certain adjustable force to remove hard dental deposits. It is carried out in the subgingival area to a depth determined using a periodontal probe.
- Sandblasting (AirFlow) is a device that produces a directed stream of a spray solution (water + special abrasive powder) designed to remove pigmented plaque of any complexity.
- Cleaning the interdental space using strips
- Polishing with special pastes, a professional brush and a tool with rubber nozzles - after treating the tooth enamel with sandblasting and ultrasound, the enamel acquires a porous structure and polishing is necessary to close the “porosity”.
The final stage, in order to consolidate the result, strengthen tooth enamel, reduce sensitivity and prevent caries, should be a remineralization procedure (fluoridation, remotherapy) .
Professional hygiene with braces
Throughout the course of orthodontic treatment, this should be a regularly scheduled procedure. Despite the variety of recommended home dental care using various brushes, brushes, irrigators and other devices, plaque accumulates in the interdental spaces, around braces and under the arch, which makes periodic professional oral hygiene necessary. The recommended frequency of professional cleaning during treatment with braces is once every 3-4 months, more often if indicated.
You can sign up for professional oral hygiene using a special online booking form on our website or by phone.
