A mouth full of braces can feel like a battlefield for your toothbrush, where brackets and wires create hidden zones for food, plaque, and bacteria to gather. One clinical study of over 650 patients found that both plaque levels and tooth decay increased noticeably by the end of orthodontic treatment, suggesting that braces require extra attention and care. With the right tools and habits, you can avoid common pitfalls like cavities, gum irritation, and stubborn white spots. 

Continue reading for expert tips from the best orthodontist in Apex on keeping your pearly whites clean and ready to sparkle as soon as your braces come off. 

Five Tips for Keeping Your Teeth Clean When You Have Braces

Braces require extra care to maintain your teeth's health throughout your orthodontic journey. Here are five tips to help you keep your teeth clean and prevent plaque buildup, which can lead to tooth decay, enamel damage, and gingivitis. 

1. Brush Properly Around Your Braces

Brushing with braces takes a little extra time and technique, but it makes all the difference in keeping your smile healthy:

• Instead of brushing straight across your teeth, tilt your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle so the bristles can reach under the brackets and wires where food and plaque often hide. 
• Make sure to brush for at least two full minutes, carefully cleaning the front, back, and chewing surfaces of every tooth as well as around your braces. 
• Using small, gentle circular motions is the best way to remove buildup without bending wires or irritating your gums. 

With practice, this routine will start to feel natural and will keep your teeth and braces clean throughout treatment.

2. Choose the Best Toothbrush for Braces

The right toothbrush can make brushing with braces much easier and more effective. Soft-bristled brushes or orthodontic toothbrushes are designed to be gentle on your enamel and gums while still reaching around brackets. Many people also find that electric toothbrushes do a better job at removing plaque, since the vibrating or rotating bristles can clean more thoroughly around hard-to-reach spots. For the tight spaces between wires and teeth, small interdental or proxy brushes are especially helpful, as they can slip into areas a regular toothbrush might miss. 

3. Supercharge Your Oral Hygiene

When you have braces, brushing twice a day isn’t always enough. You’ll need to step up your routine to keep your teeth truly clean. Food particles can get trapped easily around brackets and wires, so brushing after every meal or snack helps prevent plaque from forming. Keeping a travel toothbrush or even a disposable brush in your bag makes it simple to freshen up when you’re away from home. And no matter how tired you are at the end of the day, brushing before bed is essential since plaque does the most damage overnight. 

4. Flossing With Braces: Tricky but Not Impossible

Wires make it harder to reach between your teeth, which is why orthodontic floss threaders or special floss picks are so useful for guiding the floss right where it needs to go. If you’re looking for a quicker option, water flossers are a popular choice because they use a steady stream of water to clean around brackets and flush out hard-to-reach spots. Making flossing part of your daily routine helps prevent gum disease and protects your enamel from white spots that can appear around brackets once the braces come off. 

5. Foods and Drinks to Avoid When You Have Braces

What you eat and drink plays a big role in how well your braces and your teeth hold up during treatment: 

• Sticky foods like caramel, taffy, and gummy candy can get caught in brackets and are almost impossible to clean out completely, while hard foods such as popcorn kernels, nuts, and ice can bend wires or even snap brackets off. 
• Sugary drinks like soda, sports drinks, and sweetened teas also coat your teeth in sugar, creating the perfect environment for cavities and white spots around braces. 
• Even seemingly harmless habits, like chewing on pens or biting your nails, can damage orthodontic hardware and slow down your progress. 

By choosing softer, braces-friendly foods and limiting sugary drinks, you’ll not only protect your dental appliances but also keep your smile healthier throughout treatment.

Where to Find the Best Family Orthodontist in Apex, Serving Cary, Pittsboro, Holly Springs, and Morrisville

At Spielberg Orthodontics, Dr. Alena Spielberg combines advanced orthodontic technology with a personalized, family-first approach that makes patients of all ages feel at ease. Whether you’re in Apex, Cary, Pittsboro, Holly Springs, or Morrisville and need braces or clear aligners, families trust Dr. Spielberg for her thoughtful care, attention to detail, and dedication to creating harmony between your smile and overall facial balance. 

At our state-of-the-art orthodontic office, you’re not just getting orthodontic treatment; you’re joining a community built on trust, comfort, and the confidence that comes with a beautiful, healthy smile.