Maintaining good oral hygiene during orthodontic treatment is crucial for keeping your teeth and gums healthy. Poor oral hygiene can cause cavities, gum disease, and delay treatment progression. It may also negatively affect the overall treatment outcome. Therefore, good oral hygiene habits cannot be emphasized enough. The day you start with fixed appliances, we will thoroughly review instructions on how to keep good oral hygiene at home.

1. Brush: remember to brush at least 3 times a day, for 2 full minutes each time. Angle the bristles of your toothbrush to clean around the braces and underneath the wires. Remember to also brush along the gum line where plaque and food can get trapped. Check the mirror when you are done brushing to make sure all visible food particles and plaque have been removed.
2. Floss: make sure to floss at least once a day, using Superfloss or a floss threader to get underneath your archwires.
3. Fluoride: before bedtime, brush your teeth with a small, pea sized, amount of fluoride paste. Do not eat or drink afterwards for at least 30 minutes.