If you wear braces, keeping your teeth clean and white should be your top priority. While manual brushing may be sufficient when done correctly, modern electric toothbrushes can make the job faster, easier, and more effective. An electric toothbrush won’t damage delicate braces, retainers, or orthodontic appliances. However, you must use it correctly and choose the right material for the brush head and bristles.
Is an Electric Toothbrush Good with Braces?
Standard electrical toothbrushes brush teeth at a speed of between 2500 and 7500 strokes/minute. You brush approximately 300 stokes/minute by hand. Therefore, two minutes using an electronic toothbrush gives you much more power in that short time. This makes electric toothbrushes ideal for braces by reaching tiny spaces and eliminating all the debris and plaque.
Sonic and Oscillating Toothbrushes for Braces
Sonic toothbrushes work similarly to electric toothbrushes but brush at extremely high speeds of 30,000 strokes/ minute or even more. Using a Sonic Toothbrush while you have braces is ideal because it easily gets food and bacteria from places like brackets and elastics or even under the wires. Studies show that sonic toothbrushes can eliminate more plaque compared to manual toothbrushes.
Electric toothbrushes offer a myriad of features, including:
- Back-and-forth oscillating brush head
- Spinning or rotating oscillating brush head
- Variable modes and speed settings
- 2-minute timer and 30-second pacers
- Rechargeable battery
- Interchangeable brush head types
Sonic toothbrushes differ from electric toothbrushes in two ways: brush motion and speed. Sonic toothbrushes don’t spin or move slowly by rotating or moving with a long brush stroke. Instead, they vibrate at extremely high frequencies with sonic technology. These ultra-fast movements scrub your teeth 100 times faster than manual tooth brushing can in a minute. They cause water in your mouth to become more agitated, allowing bacteria to be easily washed away. Even with a soft brush, the deep cleaning you achieve is hard to match with hand brushing.
What Kind Of Toothbrush is Good With Braces?
If you wear braces, you should take extra care to prevent dental problems. Finding a toothbrush suitable for braces is ideal for maintaining good oral health. You should be careful about a few things when choosing a brush for braces.
Because your braces are made from clear plastic, metal brackets, and wires, they will trap food particles more easily, leading to further infection. Cavities are still a major concern for young children and teens, and taking good care of your teeth is even more critical when you wear braces.
Below are some recommended brush types for people wearing braces:
Brushes Designed to Dislodge
Braces are usually attached to each tooth by using colored filling material, which is usually a resin, and by joining the teeth together with the help of colored elastic rings. Brackets are bonded to each tooth using a strong glue that helps them to stay in place, while an archwire connects them together so that brackets can move teeth from a crooked to a straight position. Things like food can get trapped between the archwire and the brackets, and using a good toothbrush to clean your teeth while in braces will help you get rid of it.
Brushing Heads with Soft Round Bristles
Nothing proves that a particular toothbrush is better than another at getting rid of plaque. Brushing your teeth every day is important regardless of whether you are preparing to have any dental work done on your teeth. MOH advises you to use any type of toothbrush you like, but if you prefer to use an electric toothbrush, choose a toothbrush with a head that oscillates round to keep your teeth clean. If you’re not looking to buy an expensive toothbrush, you can use any regular toothbrush that has soft round bristles that will do the job.
Soft Bristles to Prevent Irritation
Braces can cause some discomfort, and when they require constant adjustment, they may require you to use a retainer to get out of a no-go zone. Taking steps to minimize discomfort and irritation while brushing with a toothbrush for braces is as crucial as choosing the right toothbrush. Find a toothbrush that has wide handles to allow you to hold it better and more comfortably.
Brushes that have a large handle can help you grip more firmly and have more control over each stroke. Also, choose brushes that have softer nylon bristles. Hard bristles on toothbrushes can cause enamel to become discolored and irritate your gum tissue, which may already be sore from orthodontic treatment. When using brushes with soft bristles, you can still effectively clean your teeth without harming them.
In general, round-end brushes are more effective at cleaning tooth enamel. It is well known that flossing with rounded bristles causes less damage to your mouth and teeth than a straight-edged toothbrush.
Wrapping Up
Always go for a soft, round-end brush your kids or teens can use comfortably, and make sure they’re using it properly. It’s important that you supervise kids when they’re brushing so that they’re learning good brushing habits as they get used to wearing braces. If your child really has trouble keeping their teeth clean, using an electric toothbrush two times a day for two minutes each time will help them reach those hard-to-reach areas. Flossing once a day may also help remove anything stuck between the molars or between the arch and the plastic tooth ring.
