OUR BEST MOUTHWASH FOR BRACES

best-mouthwash-for-braces-banner

  • Types of Braces
  • Mouth Bacteria and Braces
  • Common Braces Problems
  • Oral Hygiene for Braces
  • Best Mouthwash for Braces

When it comes to straightening teeth, braces are often a good go-to. Most orthodontists and dental professionals recommend braces for kids to help ensure a straighter and healthier smile—but braces can also make it more difficult to properly clean teeth and gums as brackets and wires can get in the way. Adding a mouthwash to your daily hygiene routine can help improve the cleanliness of your mouth, fight bad breath, and prevent cavities in areas where it’s difficult to reach with a traditional toothbrush.

Types of Braces

There are more options for braces now than ever before, speak to your dental professional to find the best treatment options for you:

  • Metal Braces: These are the most traditional type, but do they give kids the options to customize their metal braces with colored bands and they’re the least expensive type of braces available. 
  • Ceramic Braces: Tooth-colored or clear brackets and wires help make these types of braces less noticeable. However, they do stain more easily when not properly cared for.
  • Lingual Braces: These are metal braces that are placed on the inside of the teeth so they’re practically unnoticeable from the outside. However, they are the most difficult to clean. Try brushing with an electric toothbrush like the Oral-B iO Series, its round brush head pairs with micro-vibrations to better clean all areas of the mouth while staying gentle on teeth and gums.
  • Invisalign: These mouth guard-like clear plastic aligners are easily removable and the least noticeable of all the braces types.

Mouth Bacteria and Braces

Even without braces, your mouth can contain over 700 different strains of bacteria. The 2 types of plaque bacteria that can be the most detrimental to your teeth and gums are:

  • Streptococcus Mutans: These bacteria thrive when sugars and starches are left behind in the mouth which can lead to demineralization of enamel and even tooth decay.
  • Porphyrominas Gingivalis: When gums are not kept healthy by thorough thoroughly removing daily plaque, this bacterium can impact gum health and supporting bone.

mouthwash-for-braces

Common Braces Problems

For braces wearers, brushing and flossing away the food particles, starches, and sugars that can lead to feed these types of plaque bacteria can be even harder to remove than for non-brace wearers. This can lead to:

  • Tartar buildup, which can only be removed by a dental professional (typically by the hygienist so dental professional is all inclusive vs dentist) 
  • Bad Breath from the food particles and debris, and plaque that gets left behind 
  • Plaque accumulation over time can leave gums more susceptible to swelling, bleeding, and sensitivity and cavities 
  • Demineralization, which occurs as a result of unremoved plaque and acids “eating away” at the tooth’s surfaces to form white-like scars and can eventually result in cavities

Oral Hygiene for Braces

Fortunately, stepping up your oral care routine to twice daily brushing with an electric toothbrush like the Oral-B iO will help remove the bacterial plaque from your teeth. Plus, floss specially designed to clean between teeth, brackets, and wires, like  Oral-B Super Floss can help remove more plaque buildup from hard to reach places especially between teeth where most plaque problems start. To further keep your teeth and gums in good condition try rinsing with a mouthwash to freshen your breath, prevent cavities, and keep your mouth clean.

Best Mouthwash for Braces

Reinforce the strength of your teeth and help reveal a straighter, healthy smile once your braces come off by adding a mouthwash to your daily routine. Try swishing after every meal or especially before bed to help rinse away more food particles and control plaque growth.

When wearing braces, a complete oral care arsenal is important to help keep your teeth and gums in good condition. From the right rinse and floss, to fluoridated toothpaste and electric toothbrush equipped to cover all areas of the mouth, you’ll be better prepared to keep plaque bacteria from setting up shop in your mouth.

Sources: