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. Read below for tips from Dr. Ahrens about how to care for your teeth while wearing braces.

Brushing with Braces

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

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!

Class III Reverse Pull Facemask

The Class III Reverse Pull Facemask is used in patients who have deficient upper jaw growth that results in an underbite. The mask is attached to the braces by rubber bands, which exert a gentle force and apply a forward and downward traction to the upper jaw. The mask is typically worn at night while the patient sleeps.

Herbst® Appliance

The Herbst® appliance reduces an overbite by encouraging the lower jaw to move forward and the upper molars to move backward. This fixed appliance is used mostly for younger, growing children and is worn for about 12-15 months.

Palatal Expander

The palatal expander "expands" (or widens) your upper jaw by putting gentle pressure on your upper molars each time an adjustment is made. Your orthodontist will instruct you about when and how to adjust your expander. When you achieve the desired expansion, you will wear the appliance for several months to solidify the expansion and to prevent regression.

Positioners

Positioners complete the final tooth movements in your orthodontic treatment. With your full cooperation, you should only need to wear the positioner appliance for four to eight weeks.