Brushing and Flossing

Brushing and Flossing

When you have braces, it's very important to brush and floss after every meal in order to keep your teeth and gums healthy throughout your orthodontic treatment. If you need help choosing the right toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss, please ask us and we can help you choose the right products for your teeth and your appliance.

Brushing with Braces

Brush your teeth for two minutes after every meal with a soft-bristled, small-headed toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. As an alternative, you can use a powered toothbrush to increase your brushing effectiveness. Brush the outside and inside surfaces of your teeth using small, gentle, circular motions while positioning the head of the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to the gum line. Brush your teeth’s chewing surfaces and the inside surface of your front teeth using short, gentle, back-and-forth motions. Pay close attention to the areas around your brackets or other appliances.


Flossing with Braces

Flossing after every meal will help keep your teeth and braces clean, which will also help keep your treatment time on the track. To floss with braces, use a floss threader or special orthodontic floss to thread the floss behind each wire. Wrap the ends of the floss around your pointer fingers of both hands, leaving a few inches of taut floss between them. Gently slide the floss between each set of teeth using a back and forth motion. Floss the sides of each tooth beneath the gum line to remove plaque and food particles. Repeat this process until you’ve flossed all of your teeth. If you find that your floss is not removing all of the food particles between your teeth and around your braces, ask us about a water flosser!


Location

Main Office (San Jose - Rosegarden area) 2075 Forest Avenue, Suite 2, San Jose, CA 95128

Phone: (408) 298-3433

Email: info@pcortho.com

  • MON: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
  • TUE: 9:00 am - 5:30 pm
  • WED - THU: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
  • FRI: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
  • SAT - SUN: Closed
Contact Us

14505 S. Bascom Avenue, Los Gatos, CA 95032

Phone: (408) 356-4144

Email: info@pcortho.com

  • MON - TUE: Closed
  • WED - THU: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
  • FRI: Closed
  • SAT: 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
  • SUN: Closed
Contact Us

704 Blossom Hill Road, Suite 101, San Jose, CA 95123

Phone: (408) 224-1184

Email: info@pcortho.com

  • MON: Closed
  • TUE: 8:30 am - 5:30 pm
  • WED - SUN: Closed
Contact Us