Brushes for cleaning teeth with braces. Types, application

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.

Description of the capabilities of brushes

The bracket system has a lot of small elements. During a meal, food particles often get stuck between structural parts. Traditional accessories for cleaning teeth will not be enough if a person wears braces. Contamination should be removed immediately. Special orthodontic brushes (brushes) do an excellent job of this. The modern market for hygiene products offers a huge variety of such tools. They make cleaning teeth and braces of all types much easier.

Brushes for braces can be purchased at a pharmacy, supermarket or dental store. The price varies between 300-500 rubles, and depends on the manufacturer’s brand. Products from brands such as Rox, Colgate, and Oral B are popular. An orthodontist will help you avoid mistakes when choosing an accessory. He, taking into account the personal characteristics of the patient and the installed braces, will recommend the most suitable type of brush for cleaning the device.

Brushes designed for caring for braces come with different tips:

• with forked;
• with extended ones;
• with shortened ones.

To achieve impeccable oral cleanliness, you need to know how such products should be used. The skill of correct use is developed after just a few procedures.

Brushes for braces

It is worth noting that if you neglect the use of special brushes for cleaning braces, then soon after installing the corrective system you may encounter many troubles, namely: the formation of plaque, caries on the teeth, as well as inflammation of the gums, changes in the original shade of the braces (especially vulnerable in in this regard, plastic and ceramic products). Pigmentation causes the device to become visually unattractive.

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.

FAQ

Since treatment with braces is long-term, some questions do not arise immediately for patients. Below are the most common of them.

Can I clean my braces with a regular toothbrush?

A regular toothbrush is not suitable for adequately cleaning teeth and braces. It is better to use a V-shaped brush and a mono-tuft brush. A regular brush cannot completely remove plaque.

How often should I have my braces professionally cleaned?

Professional teeth cleaning with braces should be done at least once every 6 months. A visit to the orthodontist for correction can be combined with professional cleaning. The orthodontist will remove the archwire, and the dentist or hygienist can remove the stones and clean the plaque.

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.

Choosing the right brush

The choice of options in stores is very large; you can find various sets that differ in the length and stiffness of the bristles. The choice of a specific option depends on the doctor’s recommendations and your own preferences. There are these types of toothbrushes for braces:

• orthodontic, having a small head and forked bristles;
• electrical, characterized by excellent functionality and quality of work;
• Mono-beam, capable of reaching, due to its length, the most remote and hard-to-reach areas in the mouth.

What exactly to choose is not so important; the main thing is to know how to use the brush and get used to it.

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.

Review of dental care devices from

The Oral B company can safely be called one of the leaders among manufacturers of orthodontic products, in particular, this applies to toothbrushes. The most popular solutions from Oral bi products include the following:

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.

Braces and ultrasonic brush

Manufacturers of ultrasonic brushes say that this is the best hygiene product for braces. Plaque is removed using ultrasound, which acts as carefully and carefully as possible. Ultrasound cleaning prevents the formation of hard dental deposits, has an antimicrobial effect and has a positive effect on periodontal and soft tissues. The ultrasonic brush does not have an excessive mechanical impact on teeth and braces, and does not damage the gums. But not all dentists share this point of view. Some argue that ultrasound can damage orthodontic structures.

In this matter, you need to consult with your attending orthodontist, who will select the best option for caring for the installed braces.

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.

How to care for your teeth after getting braces?

In general, the basic principles of dental care remain unchanged:

1. Actively brush your teeth 2 times a day – morning and evening.
2. Cleanse as needed each time after eating.
3. Visit your dentist regularly for preventive professional hygiene.

However, taking into account the presence of braces on the teeth, each of these stages becomes longer and requires the use of completely special tools.

Orthodontic brush for cleaning braces

An orthodontic toothbrush looks similar to a regular one, however, the special arrangement of the bristles on its head attracts attention. Firstly, such brushes are available only with soft hairs or medium hardness. Secondly, the length of the hair varies from the longest at the edge to the shortest in the middle of the brush. Thus, their appearance resembles the letter V. Today, buying a toothbrush for braces in pharmacies is quite simple, since such a model is already included in the portfolio of almost all well-known brands from the economy to the luxury segment.

How to properly brush teeth with braces with an orthodontic toothbrush? The process will take place in three stages:

• Horizontal movements clean the vestibular (outer) surface of the dentition (where the braces are located). If you have a lingual structure, then horizontal movements are made accordingly from the inside, moving along the length of the arch.
• We place the toothbrush at an angle of 450 to the surface of the gum and carefully, with slight pressure, clean the structure itself and the spaces under the arch.
• We brush our teeth as usual from the inside (outside if the braces are lingual).

How to clean braces with a brush?

If few people can be surprised by a set of brushes for braces, then special brushes are a completely new tool in the arsenal of an ordinary person. The brush is a small vertical brush, with which it is very convenient to clean the interdental spaces.

In addition, a brush is indispensable for cleaning the surface of the tooth under the arch connecting the braces. It is necessary to carefully insert it under the arc and rotate it clockwise to remove plaque and stuck food particles.

An important rule of hygiene is the life of the brush. If an orthodontic toothbrush is ready to serve its owner for the standard 2-3 months, then the brush needs to be changed every 2 weeks. Typically, orthodontic brushes for cleaning braces are sold in sets of several pieces for the convenience of patients.

How to use a mono-beam brush for braces?

In the photo, the monotuft brush for braces resembles the letter “G”. This is a miniature tuft of bristles that is attached at an angle to a long handle. It must be used with special sweeping movements, moving from the neck of the tooth to its crown. It is very convenient to use such a brush to clean the bracket itself, since in addition to one small beam, the working head is also small in size and allows you to look into the most difficult to reach places.

Some brands offer to buy multifunctional brushes with different attachments for braces and more thorough oral hygiene in general. In this case, it is worth paying attention to the overall ergonomics of the design. The handle should fit comfortably in the hand (ideally have rubber stops or notches), and the attachments themselves should be firmly attached to it.

As for bristles, when caring for orthodontic structures, you should choose brushes with soft and medium hardness, so as not to damage the miniature structures.

How to use an electric toothbrush for braces?

Some patients are interested in whether it is possible to clean braces with an electric or ultrasonic brush? You can, however, choose models that are equipped with special attachments. As a rule, such a nozzle looks like a single-tuft brush with a slightly larger diameter. The brush itself should be made of soft or medium bristles. An important feature of orthodontic electric brushes is the presence of a special low-intensity mode, which will prevent the braces themselves from being damaged during cleaning. Typically, manufacturers of high-quality models post a video on the Internet about how to properly brush teeth with braces, and provide in the instructions a link to it or to a proprietary application that needs to be installed on your phone.

Brushing teeth with braces using floss

Ordinary dental floss has become so firmly established in our lives that daily high-quality hygiene without it seems impossible. Should I give it up during orthodontic treatment? Is it possible to brush teeth with braces with regular floss? Of course it is possible, orthodontists answer, however, it will be more effective to use superfloss instead of regular thread.

Superfloss is essentially dental floss, however, it combines several functions. For example, one of the brands widely represented on the dental market produces threads with a hard tip, which allows it to be inserted under the arch of an orthodontic structure. In the middle of the piece of thread there is a part of spongy porous fiber for more thorough removal of food debris.

How to clean braces with an irrigator?

The irrigator is a universal device for oral hygiene, which is also suitable for cleaning braces. The essence of the method is that water is applied to the teeth under high pressure. In this way, you can gently and effectively remove food debris from the interdental spaces and plaque from the surface of the teeth without damaging the orthodontic structures themselves.

If necessary, rinse aid or disinfectant solutions suitable for use in dentistry can be added to the water container.

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.

Vitis Orthodontic (Spain)

The manufacturer of this brand offers the following toothbrushes for braces with a V-shaped bristle profile:

• Orthodontic: hardness – medium, head length – standard, 2.7 mm,
• Orthodontic Access: hardness – medium, head length – reduced, 2.0 mm.

When purchasing, you can choose any of the following colors: transparent, green, red, yellow, purple, blue. Cost - about 300 rubles.

The VITIS company offers owners of braces systems different sets of oral care products, which, in addition to a brush with a V-shaped cutout, also include other devices: specialized toothpaste from the Orthodontic series, mouthwash, brushes and wax.

Vitis Orthodontic

TOP 10 best toothbrushes for braces

Philips Sonicare toothbrush

Philips Sonicare 4100 ProtectiveClean Power Toothbrush is a rechargeable electric toothbrush. It is designed with sonic technology that removes up to 7 times more plaque than a manual toothbrush. This technology is suitable for use on braces, fillings, crowns and veneers. It protects your teeth and gums with a pressure sensor that gently warns you when you brush too hard. A 2-minute timer (called QuadPacer) helps ensure consistent cleaning of the entire mouth. This toothbrush has a 14-day battery life. It also features a reminder to replace the brush head and a battery indicator that lets you know when to charge.

Key Features

• Number of Modes: 1
• Brush head type: Oval
• Automatic timer: Yes
• Operating time: Up to 14 days on one charge

pros

• Rechargeable
• Durable
• 14-day battery life
• Automatic timer
• Pressure meter

Fairywill Sonic Electric Toothbrush

The Fairywill Sonic Electric Toothbrush is a rechargeable toothbrush for adults and children. It helps remove plaque and prevent and reduce gingivitis. This electric toothbrush uses sonic technology and a 40,000 vibrations per minute (VPM) motor to effectively remove stains and plaque. A single 4-hour charge lasts for 30 days, making this electric brush ideal for use at home and while traveling. It comes with an automatic timer function and interval vibration reminder every 30 seconds. Moreover, it comes with 3 brush heads and is suitable for sensitive teeth.

Key Features

• Number of Modes: 3
• Brush head type: W-shaped bristles, oval
• Automatic timer: Yes
• Operating time: Up to 30 days on one charge

pros

• Fast charge 4 hours
• Long battery life
• Easy to use
• Automatic timer
• Waterproof handle
• 30 second interval reminder

Irrigator WaterPik WP-70

If you are looking for a simple and effective way to brush your teeth with one convenient device, then Waterpik Complete Care is the best option for you. This compact device removes plaque and debris lodged deep between teeth and below the gum line. This will help you clean areas of your mouth that traditional brushing and flossing cannot reach. It features sonic toothbrush technology and a large capacity tank with water capacity for more than 90 seconds. It comes with a premium travel case, a standard brush head for complete cleaning, a compact brush head for precision cleaning, 2 classic jet tips, a plaque tip, an orthodontic tip, and a pik pocket tip. It has a 360 degree rotating tip, timer/spacer and 2 speed settings.

Key Features

• Number of Modes: 10
• Brush head type: 1 standard brush head and 1 compact brush head
• Automatic timer: Yes
• Runtime: Up to 14 days on a single charge

pros

• Easy to use
• Multipurpose
• Comfortable
• Travel-friendly
• Space saving
• 2 year warranty

Philips Sonicare Essence + Sensitive Toothbrush

The Philips Sonicare Essence + Sensitive toothbrush provides a gentle cleansing action for sensitive teeth and gums. It uses Sonicare technology, which creates a dynamic fluid action that helps clean between the teeth and along the gum line. This toothbrush helps remove more plaque than a manual toothbrush. Plus, it gently removes stains to give you naturally white teeth. This brush lasts up to 10 days and works at 31,000 brush strokes per minute.

Key Features

• Number of Modes: 1
• Brush head type: Oval
• Automatic timer: Yes
• Runtime: Up to 10 days on a single charge

pros

• Improves gum health
• Keeps teeth white
• 2 minute timer
• Rechargeable

Electric toothbrush Oral-B PRO 2 2000 Cross Action

The Oral-B Deep Electric Rechargeable Toothbrush is powered by Braun. It offers clinically proven superior cleaning. It is designed with pressure sensor technology that stops pulsing when you brush too hard. This toothbrush's triple-action cleansing formula removes up to 100% more plaque than a regular manual toothbrush. Plus, its built-in timer pulses every 30 seconds so you know when to move on to other areas of your mouth.

Key Features

• Number of modes: 1
• Brush Head Type: Triple Bristle
• Automatic timer: Yes
• Operating time: Up to 7 days on one charge

pros

• Pressure meter
• Timer on the handle
• Easy to hold
• Ergonomic design

Minuses

• Short battery life
• Slightly rough bristles

Toothbrush Dr. Collins Perio

Toothbrush Dr. Collins Perio is a long lasting soft toothbrush. It features polyester bristles that reach between teeth to remove plaque and debris. These polyester bristles are super soft and fine, preventing enamel wear. These bristles are also less porous than nylon, which minimizes bacterial growth. The unique tapered threads penetrate deep between the teeth, gently massaging the gums without pain or bleeding. This brush is great for people with sensitive teeth, receding gums, braces, and post-surgery gum therapy. Additionally, it contains tea tree oil and magnolia bark, which are natural antiseptics that fight bacteria and freshen breath.

pros

• Easy to hold
• Super soft bristles
• Ergonomic neck design
• Non-slip thumb grip

Minuses

• Stubble falls out easily

Toothbrush ROCS Pro Brackets & Ortho, for braces, soft

This is a high quality antimicrobial toothbrush for adults. It is formulated with silver bristle technology that naturally eliminates 99.9% of bacteria in 6 hours. Bacteria also cannot survive on the brush. Revolutionary double-tiered toothpicks provide superior cleaning. These long, soft bristles remove plaque from areas a standard toothbrush cannot reach. This toothbrush is gentle on enamel and gums. It is also equipped with a comfortable handle.

pros

• Double layer dental floss
• Removes odor-causing bacteria from the tongue
• Treats enamel with care
• Comfortable grip handle Soft and durable bristles

Sky Orthodontic Toothbrush

Toothbrush Sky is a high quality orthodontic toothbrush for adults and children.
The wide spaces between the soft bristles are effective in removing plaque and stains. It has V-shaped bristles that are great for cleaning staples, wires, and brackets. This toothbrush provides a comfortable grip and comes with a hygiene brush. pros

• Strong
• Easy to use
• High quality
• Provides a comfortable grip
• Comes with brush cover

Lion Systema Interdental Brush S

Interdental brushes are angled and long toothbrushes for back teeth, implants and braces. These brushes are designed to remove plaque from the spaces between the inner surface of the teeth and the gums. These soft wire coated toothbrushes are gentle on your sensitive gum area. The ergonomic grip of these interdental brushes helps remove excess plaque from hard-to-reach areas.

pros

• Tilt head
• Long and flat handle
• Durable
• Easy to use
• Cleans interdental spaces

Dental Aesthetics UK Interspace Toothbrush

The Dental Aesthetics UK Interspace Toothbrush offers precision cleaning of orthodontic braces and wisdom teeth.
It is specially designed to clean hard-to-reach areas of teeth and gums, as well as around bridges and crowns. This interspace toothbrush is also great for cleaning sensitive gums. This helps prevent plaque from forming behind the wire braces. The Dental Aesthetics UK Interspace Toothbrush comes in two colours, green and blue. pros

• Provides precise cleaning
• Ideal for cleaning wisdom teeth
• Easy to use
• Prevents plaque formation
• Soft bristles

Now let's answer some important questions regarding braces.