How to Take Care of Your Braces

Co-authored by Cara Piskai

Last Updated: January 24, 2023 References Approved

When you get braces, your teeth and braces will require special care to keep them happy. For instance, you'll need to watch what you eat, as certain foods will harm your braces. You'll also need to brush your teeth and braces regularly to keep them clean, as well as take a few special steps with non-metal braces.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Eating and Drinking to Protect Your Braces

1
Avoid hard foods for the most part. Hard foods, including hard candies, pretzels, and even foods like raw carrots and apples, can be a problem with braces.^{[1]
X
Expert Source

Cara Piskai
Orthodontist
Expert Interview. 20 December 2022.} They can cause wires or bands to snap.
- Other hard foods to avoid include chips, taco shells, and even popcorn. Nuts, ice, and beef jerky can also be a problem.
- Also, don't chew on non-food items like nails, pencils, and pens.
- Some foods, such as apples, carrots, and other healthy hard foods, can be adapted to be eaten with braces. Simply cut them into small pieces before eating.^{[2]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Cara Piskai
  Orthodontist
  Expert Interview. 20 December 2022.}
2
Skip chewy and/or sticky foods. Foods like gummy bears, peanut butter, caramel, and dried fruit can all cause issues for braces.^{[3]
X
Expert Source

Cara Piskai
Orthodontist
Expert Interview. 20 December 2022.} They are likely to get stuck in the braces, and you might break the braces trying to get the food out.

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3
Minimize sugary foods. Foods and drinks such as cake, candy, ice cream, pie, and soda don't do your teeth any favors. The bacteria that form plaque love sugar. Make sure you brush and floss after you eat foods or drink beverages high in sugar.
- Eating sugary foods is especially a problem when you're wearing braces because plaque can build up in more places than normal, such as around the brackets.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Cleaning Your Teeth and Braces

1
Brush after you eat. When you have braces, you need to brush your teeth even more often than normal.^{[4]
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Expert Source

Cara Piskai
Orthodontist
Expert Interview. 20 December 2022.} Food is easily trapped in braces, which can lead to tooth decay and could even damage your braces.^{[5]
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Expert Source

Alina Lane, DDS
Board Certified Dentist
Expert Interview. 21 April 2020.} Therefore, you should brush every time you eat.^{[6]
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Research source}
- It's also a good idea to brush your teeth when you wake up and before you sleep.^{[7]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Cara Piskai
  Orthodontist
  Expert Interview. 20 December 2022.}
2
Remove the interarch rubber bands. Before brushing, take off the interarch rubber bands. These bands usually connect the top of the mouth to the bottom, and you shouldn't confuse them with the small ligature bands (the colorful ones) that connect your teeth together. You need to remove them so you can get in and around them to brush your braces and teeth.^{[8]
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- If you have the clear, removable braces, you can just take them out and brush normally. Be sure to put them in their case to protect them.^{[9]
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3
Rinse your mouth out. It helps to start your brushing routine by rinsing with water first. Take a mouthful of water, and swish it around the inside of your mouth. This process will help draw out food particles in your mouth, making it easier to remove them.
- You can also rinse when you can't brush. If you forgot to bring your toothbrush with you, the next best thing is rinsing. Fill your mouth with water, and swish it around thoroughly. Spit the water out. Brush when you're next near your toothbrush.
4
Brush your teeth thoroughly. You need to brush your teeth, the gum line, and the brackets. With the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle, brush the gum line first, since that's the part where plaque often accumulates.^{[10]
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Expert Source

Cara Piskai
Orthodontist
Expert Interview. 20 December 2022.} Then, adjust the toothbrush to brush the top and then the bottom of the brackets, making sure to get your teeth along the way.^{[11]
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Expert Source

Alina Lane, DDS
Board Certified Dentist
Expert Interview. 21 April 2020.} Remember, you should brush for two minutes each time.
- After you're done, be sure to rinse.
- Be gentle when brushing because you can break wires if you're too rough. Clear ceramic brackets are also susceptible to breaking.^{[12]
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  Research source}
- Brush invisible braces separately. Just use a bit of toothpaste to brush them, and then rinse them off.^{[13]
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  Research source}
- Make sure you are brushing for at least 2 minutes—set a timer on your phone or put on your favorite song to make sure you are brushing long enough!^{[14]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Cara Piskai
  Orthodontist
  Expert Interview. 20 December 2022.}
5
Floss at least once a day. Flossing with braces is a bit more difficult because the wires get in the way of the floss.^{[15]
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Expert Source

Lewis Chen, DDS, FICOI, FIADFE
Licensed Dentist
Expert Interview. 11 May 2021.} However, a floss threader can help.^{[16]
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Expert Source

Cara Piskai
Orthodontist
Expert Interview. 20 December 2022.} You pull about five inches of floss through the loop of the threader, then pull the threader in where you can't get the floss (above the wire). Make it go between your teeth, then take the floss out of the threader to floss your teeth.^{[17]
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Research source}
- A water flosser may also help. Certain models have special orthodontic tips included, so keep that in mind when selecting your device.
- There are also special flosses that are made out of individual strands that have a stiffer end that serve as a threader, connected to a spongy floss segment and a regular floss segment. These make cleaning between the teeth and around braces easier.^{[18]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Cara Piskai
  Orthodontist
  Expert Interview. 20 December 2022.}

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Taking Special Steps

1
Change interarch rubber bands daily. Interarch rubber bands are the ones that connect your top teeth to the bottom, not the colorful ones in between teeth. The interarch bands need to be replaced about once a day because they endure a lot of stress.^{[19]
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2
Avoid staining drinks with ceramic braces. If you have clear ceramic braces, you likely want to keep them clear so they are less visible. To do so, it's best to skip drinks that stain, such as coffee and red wine. Smoking will also stain them. If you do partake, make sure to brush afterwards.^{[20]
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3
Take invisible braces out to eat. Invisible braces are made to be taken out for short periods. You can remove them when you are eating, for instance. Make sure you place them in the provided case so you don't damage them.^{[21]
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4
Remove invisible braces to put in a mouth guard. You can generally leave invisible braces in while you play a sport. However, if you need to put in a mouth guard, you can certainly take out your braces to put in a mouth guard so you can play.^{[22]
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5
Talk to your orthodontist about problems. If you are having any issues, don't be afraid to talk to your orthodontist. They may be able to make an adjustment to your braces, or they may be able to give you a tip to deal with the problem.