Cleaning Braces: How to brush your teeth with braces

Reading time: 4 mins

Ensuring you attain a high level of oral hygiene is crucial to your oral health and overall physical health. Some might even say it’s more crucial to keep up an appropriate level of oral hygiene when you have braces, as it requires a meticulous level of upkeep. But we’re here to help you learn all about cleaning braces. 

Whether you have fixed or removable braces, knowing how to brush your teeth with braces is necessary for your oral health. Food residue gets caught in the brackets and wires, making it easier for plaque to form in these areas. In this article, we’ll explore the simple steps for brushing teeth with fixed braces:

• Set aside 5-10 minutes for cleaning your braces and teeth
• Rinse with water
• Use the brush at a 45-degree angle in circular motions
• Clean the chewing and inner surfaces and interdental spaces
• Rinse with water and antibacterial mouthwash

In addition, we’ll show you the steps for cleaning braces that can be removed. Read on to discover the ultimate guide for how to clean your teeth with braces – and how to clean braces themselves – so you can maintain good oral health and a dazzling smile.

How to brush teeth with braces that are fixed

To start, let’s answer a question we’re sure you have: can you use an electric toothbrush with braces? You can, and in fact they may be slightly better for cleaning around braces than manual toothbrushes.¹

If you have fixed braces, there are seven main steps to follow for how to brush your teeth with braces:

1. As with normal toothbrushing, ensure you are brushing teeth with braces twice a day. However, instead of the standard two minutes, dental cleaning with braces requires more time. You should set aside about five to ten minutes in your dental routine for the best results.
   
   
2. Start by rinsing out your mouth. Using clean water, rinse your mouth thoroughly in order to remove any food residue.
   
   
3. Position the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to your teeth. This will allow the bristles to reach behind the wires from the top and bottom.
   
   Tip: Instead of using a standard manual toothbrush, why not try a sonic toothbrush? The Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean, for example, removes plaque effectively but gently. It also helps you to improve your oral hygiene and health.
   
   
4. Now brush every tooth separately using a medium-hard toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. You should work around each tooth in circular motions..
   
   
5. You can clean the chewing surfaces and inner surfaces as usual. This means simply brushing back and forth over the surface, starting at the top back corner, until you clean them all.
   
   
6. Clean the areas behind the braces and the interdental spaces. You can use small interdental brushes for this. Use the widest interdental brush that will fit in the space you’re cleaning.¹ You can also dislodge food that’s caught between your teeth and your braces by using dental floss.²
   
   Tip: If you’re not a fan of flossing, or you’re worried about damaging your braces, we recommend using a modern device such as the Philips Sonicare Power Flosser to help clean your interdental spaces when wearing fixed braces.
   
   
7. Finish with a final rinse. The last step for how to brush teeth with braces is to rinse your mouth with water, followed with an antibacterial mouthwash.